LIFE    OF 


. 


ANDKEV  HULL  FOOTE, 

REAR-ADMIRAL  UNITED  STATES  NAVY. 


BY 

JAMES    MASON    HOPPIN, 

PROFESSOR  IN  YALE  COLLEGE. 


WITH    A    PORTRAIT   AND    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


NEW   YORK: 
HARPER    &    BROTHERS,    PUBLISHERS, 

FRANKLIN     SQUARE. 
l874. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1874,  by 

HARPER    &    BROTHERS, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


TO  THE 

HON.  GIDEON   WELLES, 

EX- SECRETARY   OF  THE   NAVY, 

THIS    VOLUME 
IS  RESPECTFULLY  INSCRIBED 

BY 

THE  AUTHOR. 


PREFACE. 


THE  life  which  has  been  imperfectly  set  forth  in  these  pages 
deserves  to  be  remembered  as  that  of  one  who  labored  and 
accomplished  much  for  his  country;  and  as  a  life  in  itself 
pure,  manly,  and  heroic.  It  followed  the  law  of  right  even 
when  leading  to  sharp  sacrifices  and  death.  It  was  one  of 
those  lives  that  by  the  simple  force  of  character  raises  the 
spirit  of  its  times  to  a  higher  moral  level  of  manhood. 

Though  encountering  great  disappointments  and  trials,  and 
not  permitted  to  realize  what  would  appear  to  be  his  just  an 
ticipations,  the  career  of  Admiral  Foote  may  be  still  regarded 
in  many  respects  as  a  brilliant  one.  He  did  many  notable 
and  noble  things.  He  was,  in  fact,  a  great  naval  commander, 
of  the  same  stamp — though  perhaps,  from  the  lack  of  oppor 
tunities,  not  so  famous— as  Decatur,  Hull,  Lawrence,  McDon- 
ough,  and  Perry. 

In  this  biography  I  have  not  indulged  in  highly  wrought 
descriptions  of  military  scenes  and  events,  but  with  great 
pains  have  endeavored  to  keep  on  the  exact  level  of  truth, 
carefully  verifying  every  fact  and  statement  by  all  the  author 
ities  at  my  command,  so  that  (though  the  hope  may  be  a  vain 
one)  this  volume  might  form  a  slight  contribution  to  the  ma 
terial  of  future  history,  especially  the  history  of  the  late  war 
in  one  of  its  most  peculiar  and  important  phases. 

I  have  desired,  above  all,  to  make  a  book  that  would  be 
read  with  interest  by  officers  and  seamen  in  the  Navy;  in 
order  that  young  men  in  that  service  might  be  led  to  emu 
late  his  example,  who  died  for  his  country  as  truly  as  if  he 


vi  Preface. 

had  fallen  in  battle  on  the  deck  of  his  gun-boat.  I  would 
wish  them  to  see  that  what  the  hero  of  Fort  Henry  and  the 
Mississippi  accomplished  was  no  accident  of  fortune,  but  was 
prepared  for  in  the  earlier  stages  of  a  life  devoted  to  the 
highest  aims.  His  example,  as  well  as  his  reputation,  belong 
especially  to  the  Navy.  He  was  a  genuine  American  sailor ; 
and  we  can  not  do  thorough  justice  to  him  unless  we  view 
him  in  this  light.  His  qualities  of  mind  and  temperament 
have  the  smack  of  the  salt  sea — the  free  play  and  rough  force 
of  old  ocean.  He  was  a  true  child  of  the  sea — of  a  fluent 
spirit,  moved  by  powerful  impulses,  loving  honor,  bold  and 
affectionate. 

Yet  he  was  more  than  this.  To  the  simple  sailor-spirit  of 
indomitable  loyalty  to  duty  was  added  a  religious  enthusiasm 
that  fitted  him  to  contend  with  foes  more  formidable  than 
winds  or  waves.  Here  lay  the  real  strength  of  his  character. 

I  acknowledge  with  gratitude  the  good  offices  of  the  Hon. 
Gideon  Welles,  for  valuable  letters  placed  at  my  disposal; 
and  also  the  kindness  of  the  venerable  Bear-Admiral  Joseph 
Smith,  in  the  aid  rendered  by  him  in  obtaining  for  me  access 
to  the  files  and  records  of  the  Navy  Department  at  Wash 
ington. 

The  spirited  sketches  of  actions  on  the  Tennessee,  Cum 
berland,  and  Mississippi  rivers,  from  which  the  engravings 
in  this  work  were  made,  were  drawn  expressly  for  the  book 
by  the  gallant  Rear-Admiral  H.  Walke,  and  lend  the  author 
ity  of  an  eye-witness  and  of  a  principal  actor  in  those  scenes 
to  the  excellent  drawings  themselves.  To  other  members  of 
the  Navy,  and  to  the  Hon.  John  A.  Foote  and  George  A.  Jar- 
vis,  Esq.,  who  have  given  me  their  kind  counsel  and  assistance, 
I  would  also  return  thanks. 

J.  M.  H. 
NEW  HAVEN,  July,  1874. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.  Page 

Birth,  Family,  and  Early  Days 13 

CHAPTER  II. 

First  Cruises  and  Sea-life 25 

CHAPTER  III. 

Cruise  of  the  John  Adams 38 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Cruise  of  the  John  Adams — continued 48 

CHAPTER  V. 

Naval  Asylum  at  Philadelphia. — Cruise  of  the  Cumberland. 
.  — Naval  Academy  at  Boston .  .  54 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Cruise  of  the  Perry  on  the  African  Coast 60 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Cruise  of  the  Perry — continued 75 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Private  Journal  on  the  Perry 89 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Literary  Labors 97 


viii  Contents. 


CHAPTER  X.  Page 

Cruise  of  the  Portsmouth  and  Taking  of  the  "  Barrier  Forts" .   106 

CHAPTER  XL 

Remarks  on  the  Taking  of  the  "  Barrier  Forts."— Cruise  of 
the  Portsmouth  concluded 122 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Correspondence.  —  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard.  —  Beginnings  of 
Strife , ,    136 

CHAPTER  XIH. 

Appointment  to  Command  of  Naval  Operations  at  the  West. 
—The  Western  Flotilla 154 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

First  Operations   of  "Foote's  Flotilla." — The  Action  at 
Lucas's  Bend,  and  Reconnoitring  Expeditions 169 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Action  at  Eddyville. — Documents  respecting  the  Flotilla. — 
Defective  Guns. — Battle  of  Belmont. — Correspondence.. .  177 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Preparations  for  Attacking  Fort  Henry. — The  Assault  and 
Capture 190 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Results  of  the  Capture  of  Fort  Henry. — Further  Movements 
of  Gun-boats. — Preaching  at  Cairo 207 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The  Share  taken  by  "Foote's  Flotilla"  in  the  Siege  of  Fort 
Donelson. — He  is  Wounded. — Correspondence 220 


Contents. 


CHAPTER  XIX.  Page 

Capture  of  Clarksville. — Foote's  Proclamation. — Not  per 
mitted  to  take  Nashville. — Armed  Reconnoissance  down 
the  Mississippi. — Flag  of  Truce. — Evacuation  of  Colum 
bus 233 

CHAPTER  XX. 

The  Mississippi  as  the  Scene  of  Operations. — General  Pope's 
Movements  at  New  Madrid. — Characteristic  Order. — Cor 
respondence  253 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

Investment  and  Bombardment  of  Island  No.  Ten. — Death 
of  Son. — Cutting  Canal  across  Peninsula 264 

CHAPTER  XXH. 

Capture  of  Island  No.  Ten 282 

CHAPTER  XXIH. 

Operations  of  Fleet  at  Fort  Pillow. — Ill-Health  and  giving 
up  of  Active  Command 294 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Correspondence  at  Cleveland. — Detached  from  Command  of 
Western  Flotilla 314 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

Correspondence. — Return  to  the  East. — Vote  of  Thanks  by 
Congress 331 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Appointed  Chief  of  Bureau  of  Equipment  and  Recruiting.— 
Speeches  and  Letters  at  Enlistment  Meetings. — Corre 
spondence. — Appointed  Rear- Admiral 344 


Contents. 


CHAPTER  XXVII.  Page 

Congratulations  and  Correspondence. — Sword  Presentation 
at  Brooklyn 355 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

Loss  of  Children. — Correspondence  at  Washington. — Ap 
pointment  to  Command  of  South  Atlantic  Squadron. — 
Last  Days  and  Death 364 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

Honors  to  the  Memory  of  Admiral  Foote. — Funeral  Obse 
quies 379 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

Concluding  Words  and  Letters  of  Friends 384 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PORTRAIT  OF  REAR-ADMIRAL  ANDREW  HULL  FOOTE Frontispiece. 

THE  GOVERNOR  FOOTE  HOUSE,  CHESHIRE,  CONN Faces  p.  20 

ST.  PAUL  DE  LOANDA "        80 

THE  BARRIER  FORTS p.  114 

THE  "  BENTON" p.  166 

SCENE  OF  OPERATIONS  AT  THE  WEST Faces  p.  170 

BATTLE  OF  BELMONT "        186 

MAP  OF  FORT  HENRY p.  200 

BATTLE  OF  FORT  HENRY. Faces  p.  201 

MAP  OF  FORT  DONELSON p.  222 

BATTLE  OF  FORT  DONELSON Faces  p.  223 

MAP  OF  FORT  COLUMBUS p.  242 

SCENE  OF  OPERATIONS  AROUND  ISLAND  No.  TEN p.  267 

BOMBARDMENT  OF  ISLAND  No.  TEN Faces  p.  268 

THE  "  CARONDELET  "  PASSING  BATTERIES "        285 

FORT  PILLOW  .  "311 


THE   LIFE   OF 

REAR-ADMIRAL 

ANDREW  HULL  FOOTE,  U.S.N, 


CHAPTER  I. 

BIRTH,  FAMILY,  AND   EARLY  DAYS. 

ANDREW  HULL  FOOTE  was  born  in  wrhat  is  known  as  the 
•"  Buddington  House,"  on  the  corner  of  Union  and  Cherry 
Streets,  in 'New  Haven,  Connecticut,  Sept.  12, 1806.  Though 
the  blood  of  the  "  De  Veres,  the  Bohuns,  and  the  Bigods  "  did 
not  run  in  his  veins,  he  was  descended  from  good  New  En 
gland  stock  of  God-fearing  Puritans,  whose  first  American  an 
cestor,  from  whom  he  was  removed  about  eight  generations, 
was  Nathaniel  Foote,  who  came  from  England  to  "Watertown, 
Mass.,  in  1630,  and  in  1635  was  one  of  the  company  of  emi 
grants  of  whom  Trumbull,  in  his  history  of  Connecticut,  says 
they  were  fourteen  days  in  the  wilderness  on  their  journey  from 
Watertown  and  vicinity  to  begin  settlements  on  the  Connecti 
cut  River,  at  Hartford,  Wethersfield,  and  Windsor.  Nathaniel 
Foote  settled  at  Wethersfield,  and  belonged  to  the  original 
proprietors  of  that  town,  where  he  died  in  1644.  His  son 
Robert,  from  whom  Admiral  Foote  is  directly  descended,  emi 
grated  to  Branford,  Connecticut,  and  was  among  the  early 
settlers  of  that  town.  Wethersfield,  Hadley,  Branford,  and 
Cheshire  numbered  among  their  earliest  and  best  citizens  the 
descendants  of  Nathaniel  Foote ;  and  in  all  the  trials  and 


14  Life  of  A  dm  iral  Foote. 

marked  events  of  New  England  history — in  pioneer  labors,  the 
witchcraft  delusion,  Indian  conflicts  and  captivities,  the  colo 
nial  wars  and  the  war  of  the  Revolution — this  well-known 
and  widely  spread  family  bore  its  full  share,  some  of  its  mem 
bers  having  shed  their  blood  and  given  their  lives  on  the 
battle-field  for  their  country.  They  were  chiefly  agricultur 
ists  ;  but  filled  every  responsible  position  in  social  and  civil  life, 
and  by  their  sturdy  worth  and  intelligence  helped  to  build 
up  the  good  old  commonwealth  of  Connecticut. 

The  grandfather  of  Andrew  was  John  Foote,  a  native  of 
North  Branford,  who  was  a  graduate  of  Yale  College  in  1765, 
and  for  about  fifty  years  was  pastor  of  the  church  in  Cheshire, 
Connecticut,  where  he  died  in  1813.  He  was  one  of  the  old- 
fashioned  New  England  ministers,  who  were  settled  over  their 
parishes  for  life,  and  whose  life  formed  an  integral  part  of 
the  history  of  the  town  itself.  For  nearly  a  hundred  years  the' 
grandfather  and  great-grandfather  of  the  Admiral  were  the 
pastors  of  the  village  church,  the  one  succeeding  the  other.* 

*  The  following  incident  respecting  Lucinda  Foote,  daughter  of  Rev. 
John  Foote,  which  has  been  recently  revived  in  the  public  prints,  shows 
that  that  reverend  gentleman  was  not  of  the  opinion  of  Aaron  Burr,  who 
thought  that  one  tongue  was  enough  for  a  woman.  At  the  age  of  twelve 
years  Lucinda  Foote  was  fitted  to  enter  Yale  College,  as  appears  from 
the  following  copy  of  a  translation  of  a  certificate  in  Latin,  written  upon 
parchment,  given  to  her  by  President  Stiles,  and  also  inserted  by  him  in 
his  diary  on  the  same  date  : 

"  The  President  of  Yale  College  to  all  to  whom  these  presents  shall 
come. — Greeting :  Be  it  known  to  you  that  I  have  examined  Miss  Lucinda 
Foote,  twelve  years  old,  and  have  found  that  in  the  learned  languages — 
the  Latin  and  the  Greek — she  has  made  commendable  progress,  giving 
the  true  meaning  of  passages  in  the  ^Eneid  of  Virgil,  the  Select  Orations 
of  Cicero,  and  in  the  Greek  Testament ;  and  that  she  is  fully  qualified,  ex 
cept  in  regard  to  sex,  to  be  received  as  a  pupil  in  the  Freshman  Class  in 
Yale  University.  Given  in  the  College  Library,  the  22d  of  December, 
1783.  EZRA  STILES,  President." 

Though  kept  out  of  college,  Miss  Foote  pursued  a  full  course  of  college 
studies,  and  also  studied  Hebrew  with  President  Stiles.  She  married  at 
eighteen,  and  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-two,  having  been  the  mother  of  ten 
children. 


His  Parents.  15 


His  parents  were  Samuel  Augustus  Foote  and  Eudocia  Hull, 
daughter  of  General  Andrew  Hull  (militia  general),  of  Ches 
hire.  His  father,  Samuel  Augustus,  was  Governor  of  Con 
necticut  in  1834-5,  and  United  States  Senator  from  1827  to 
1833.  He  was  known  in  the  political  history  of  the  country 
as  the  mover  of  "  Foote's  Resolutions,"  which  gave  occasion  to 
the  famous  passage  of  arms  between  Webster  and  Hayne.  In 
his  political  sentiments  Governor  Foote  was  •  originally  a  Jef- 
fersonian  Democrat,  but  afterward  became  a  member  of  the 
National  Republican  party,  which  in  1832  was  reorganized  as 
the  Whig  party  under  the  leadership  of  Clay  and  Webster. 

In  the  winter  of  1829-30  it  was  determined  by  the  leaders 
of  the  Republican  party  to  provoke  the  Southern  members 
who  held  nullification  principles  to  an  open  discussion  which 
should  compel  them  to  show  their  colors.  Senator  Foote  as 
sumed  the  task  of  moving  the  resolutions,  which  bore  mainly 
on  the  question  of  the  final  disposal  of  the  public  lands  and 
the  proceeds  of  their  sales ;  but  he  consented  to  do  this  on  the 
condition  that  he  should  not  make  a  speech  upon  his  own  res 
olutions.  This  was  characteristic  of  the  man.  While  in  Con 
gress,  and,  in  fact,  during  a  long  and  successful  political  life, 
he  rarely  was  known  to  make  a  speech,  although,  whenever 
he  did  speak,  it  was  to  the  point.  His  success  was  owing  to 
his  stanchness  and  sagacity  of  character.  He  was  a  man  of 
positive  opinions,  often  standing  quite  alone,  as  on  the  Mis 
souri  Compromise  question  ;  but  he  was  known  to  friend  and 
foe  as  a  politician  of  inflexible  honesty,  and  one  who  despised 
intrigue.  He  led  men  by  his  force  of  will  and  independence 
of  character.  If  not  an  orator,  it  is  an  interesting  fact  that 
the  father  of  Admiral  Foote  was  a  prominent  actor  in  the 
first  great  public  strife  of  opinion  between  the  North  and  the 
South,  and  between  those  principles  which  go  to  strengthen 
and  uphold  the  authority  of  the  "national  government,  and 
those  which  tend  to  its  dissolution.  The  father  may  thus  be 


1 6  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

said,  in  some  sense,  to  have  begun  the  contest  which  ended  in 
the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  and  the  triumph  of  the  principles 
of  republican  government — a  war  in  which  his  son  bore  so 
distinguished  a  part. 

The  childhood  and  youth  of  Admiral  Foote  were  those  of 
a  boy  brought  up  in  strict  Puritan  principles,  modified  per 
haps  by  the  gentler  influence  of  his  mother,  who,  by  her  wom 
anly  tact  in  ordinary  matters,  was  the  true  executrix  of  the 
household,  although  the  father,  as  in  the  old  Hebrew  house 
hold,  held  the  supreme  authority,  which  was  never  relaxed  in 
a  real  difference  of  opinion. 

Unquestioning  obedience  was  the  rule  of  the  family  life. 
This  held  good  not  only  in  respect  of  domestic  authority,  but 
extended  also  to  teachers  and  all  superiors  in  age  and  rank. 
The  schoolmaster  stood  in  loco  parentis,  and  the  most  rigor 
ous  discipline  administered  at  school  was  taken  at  home  as 
good  evidence  that  it  was  well  deserved,  and  admitted  of  no 
appeal. 

It  was  held  that  talents  were  given  to  be  used,  and  idleness 
was  looked  upon  as  the  great  sin.  The  day  began  with  the 
song  of  the  birds.  The  son  was  expected  to  give  his  spare 
hours  to  the  service  of  his  parents  at  home  or  in  the  field,  and 
the  most  deferential  respect  was  enjoined  in  their  presence. 
Plain  diet,  simple  apparel,  hard  work,  and,  above  all,  profound 
reverence  for  the  Sabbath,  and  unfailing  attendance  upon  pub 
lic  worship  and  all  religious  ordinances,  characterized  this  and 
other  sober  Puritan  households,  even  down  to  the  beginning 
of  the  present  century,  in  Connecticut,  "  the  land  of  steady 
habits." 

Andrew  was  a  lively  boy,  indisposed  to  study  or  routine  of 
any  kind ;  and  though  he  had  no  bad  traits,  he  loved  freedom 
and  fun.  The  family  consisted  of  robust  boys,  with  no  sis 
ter's  softening  influence ;  and  many  were  the  pranks  of  these 
youngsters,  in  which  Andrew  was  the  leader.  One  story  is 


His  Boyhood.  17 


told  of  him, 'which,  considering  the  austere  setting  of  circum 
stances  in  which  it  appears,  must  have  been  at  the  time  ludi 
crous  enough.  His  oldest  brother  John,  who  shared  his  fun- 
loving  temper,  had  played  some  successful  prank,  which,  by 
all  principles  of  boy-law,  it  was  incumbent  upon  Andrew  to 
return  with  interest.  He  armed  himself  with  a  no  less  effect 
ual  and  no  more  destructive  missile  than  a  rotten  apple,  and, 
standing  behind  a  door,  patiently  awaited  his  opportunity. 
At  length  hearing  some  one  approaching  whom  he  supposed 
to  be  his  brother,  he  darted  from  his  concealment,  and  threw 
the  apple  with  all  his  force,  when,  to  his  horror,  he  saw  that  it 
had  taken  effect  in  the  bosom  of  his  father's  ruffled  shirt,  who 
had  just  come  out  of  his  chamber,  having  carefully  arrayed 
himself  for  the  occasion  of  delivering  a  public  address  on  the 
return  of  peace.  The  indignant  sire,  supposing  that  the  jest 
was  intended  for  himself,  rushed  to  seize  the  offender,  but 
fright  lent  wings  to  his  feet ;  and  as  the  church-bell  was  al 
ready  tolling  for  the  public  service,  the  pursuit  was  necessarily 
abandoned  to  allow  time  for  a  speedy  change  of  dress ;  so  that 
an  opportunity  was  gained  by  Andrew  to  send  in  an  explana 
tion  and  apology ;  and,  to  his  infinite  satisfaction,  the  young 
rogue  was  released  with  a  severe  reprimand. 

Other  anecdotes  are  told,  quite  as  trivial  in  themselves, 
which,  however,  are  characteristic  of  the  spirit  of  the  boy,  and 
show  that  his  resolute  nature  manifested  itself  early.  While 
but  a  wee  bit  of  a  lad,  he  was  one  day  leading  his  younger 
brother  Augustus,  who  was  dressed  in  a  red  frock,  across  a 
meadow  where  there  was  a  large  merino  ram.  The  buck,  ex 
cited  by  the  red  dress,  charged  furiously  upon  the  little  fellow. 
Andrew  bravely  threw  himself  in  the  way,  and  received  the 
shock ;  and  this  he  did  several  times,  until  they  had  reached 
the  fence  in  safety.  His  brother  (Hon.  John  A.  Foote,  of 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  who  tells  this  story)  says  of  the  occurrence, 
that  it  was  undoubtedly  the  admiral's  first  ram  fight. 

B 


1 8  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

Another  story  of  Andrew's  youthful  days  might  have  been 
told  of  hundreds  and  thousands  of  plucky  boys,  but  which,  at 
all  events,  shows  that  the  spirit  t&figJit  was  born  in  him,  and 
was  ready  to  manifest  itself  on*  any  real  provocation  of  insult 
or  injustice.  When  he  had  grown  to  be  a  bigger  lad,  he  went 
one  winter's  day  into  a  shoemaker's  shop,  and  left  the  shop 
door  open  behind  him.  One  of  the  workmen  thereupon  or 
dered  him  in  a  peremptory  way  to  shut  the  door.  Andrew 
thought  the  tone  was  too  authoritative,  and  refused  to  shut 
the  door  unless  asked  civilly.  The  workman,  thereupon  grow 
ing  wrathful,  told  him  that  if  he  did  not  close  the  door  he 
would  thrash  him ;  and  at  once  the  ire  of  our  young  hero  was 
kindled,  and  Crispin  was  laid  helpless  across  his  own  bench, 
while  the  old  master,  who  had  watched  the  affair  over  his 
spectacles,  instead  of  interfering,  cried  out,  "  Bravo !  bravo ! 
well  done,  lad !" 

His  brother  John  says  of  his  early  years :  "  He  was  a  stut 
tering,  stammering,  left-handed  little  boy.  A  cot  was  fitted 
tightly  over  his  left  hand,  and  he  was  required  to  use  only  his 
right.  When  he  commenced  speaking,  he  was  admonished  to 
speak  slowly,  and  to  beat  time  with  his  right  hand. 

"  When  we  were  boys  together,  it  was  a  rule  in  our  family 
to  commence  the  Sabbath  early  on  Saturday  evening,  and  play 
was  to  be  suspended  until  we  could  see  three  stars  on  Sunday 
evening.  Herschel  and  other  distinguished  men  have  had 
great  credit  for  discovering  new  stars,  but  I  have  sometimes 
queried  whether  the  future  admiral  did  not  in  those  days  dis 
cover  some  stars  never  seen  by  any  of  them.  Yery  certain  I 
am  that  the  play  sometimes  commenced  before  I  could  see 
any  stars ;  and  I  am  equally  certain  that  he  never,  in  after-life, 
watched  for  them  in  a  storm  at  sea,  or  on  a  lee  shore,  more 
anxiously  than  when  a  boy,  on  a  Sunday  evening,  he  watched 
for  them  as  a  license  to  begin  his  sports. 

"  As  a  boy,  he  was  full  of  fun  and  frolic — a  real  boy — but 


Influences  that  drew  Him  to  the  Sea.  19 

he  was  genial,  kind,  and  popular,  and  I  do  not  remember  of 
his  ever  being  quarrelsome." 

Such  incidents  of  his  youthful  days  might  be  multiplied ; 
it  would,  however,  be  interesting  to  inquire  what  it  was  that 
gave  the  first  turn  to  his  life,  and  led  him  to  seek  the  sea.  It 
is  said  Hugh  Miller  remembered  that  when  a  child  not  three 
years  old  he  went  into  the  garden  one  day,  and  saw  there  "  a 
minute  duckling,  covered  with  soft,  yellow  hair,  growing  out 
of  the  soil  by  its  feet,  and  beside  it  a  plant  that  bore  as  its 
flowers  a  crop  of  little  mussel-shells  of  a  deep  red  color." 
This  really  belonged  to  the  vegetable  kingdom ;  and  the  dis 
criminating  observation  of  a  new  fact  in  nature  by  one  so 
young  seemed  prophetic  of  the  future  man  of  science. 

Nothing  remarkable  of  this  kind  is  recorded  of  Admiral 
Foote's  childhood.  The  sea  is  a  magnet  that  draws  its  own  to  it 
wherever  they  may  be.  The  plowboy  on  the  hill-side  or  on  the 
prairie  far  away  hears  in  his  mind's  inner  sense  the  perpetual 
undertone  of  ocean,  and  drops  the  plow,  and  makes  his  way  to 
the  coast  to  embark  upon  the  adventurous  life  of  the  sailor. 
The  love  of  the  sea  is  one  of  those  instincts  that  are  original 
in  the  nature  of  some.  This  only  is  to  be  said  of  our  hero's 
youth,  that  his  earliest  recollections  were  of  ships.  His  father, 
when  he  lived  in  New  Haven,  was  engaged  in  the  West  India 
trade,  and  his  place  of  business  was  upon  the  well-known  quay 
called  "  Long  Wharf."  For  the  first  ten  years  of  his  married 
life  his  father  was,  as  he  himself  supposed,  subject  to  an  affec 
tion  of  the  lungs,  and  occasionally  made  a  voyage  to  the  West 
Indies,  in  the  capacity  of  supercargo  of  one  of  his  own  vessels. 
As  these  absences  were  infrequent,  the  going  and  coming 
produced  a  strong  impression  upon  the  imagination  of  his 
children,  as  they  watched  the  departing  or  returning  sail,  and 
probably  awoke  in  one  of  them  at  least  the  vague  and  wild 
desires  after  a  sailor's  life. 

It  is  also  not  altogether  improbable  that  the  war  of  1812, 


2O  Life  of  Admiral  P^oote. 

which  was  almost  altogether  a  naval  war,  and  the  brilliant  vic 
tories  of  our  sea-captains  at  that  time,  kindled  unconsciously 
in  the  ardent  mind  of  the  boy  the  first  faint  fires  of  military 
glory  connected  with  the  sea.  When  those  stories  of  combats 
on  the  ocean  and  on  the  great  lakes  were  related  with  en 
thusiasm  at  the  family  fireside  or  table,  it  is  quite  impossible 
that  a  mind  so  susceptible  even  as  a  child  to  honor,  should  not 
have  caught  the  spirit  and  the  glow  of  such  stirring  events. 

The  war  of  1812,  and  the  severe  illness  of  his  father, 
brought  about  a  change  of  scene;  and  the  family  removed 
from  New  Haven  to  Cheshire,  a  beautiful  inland  village  in 
the  same  state  and  county,  in  the  spring  of  the  year  1813. 
There  they  continued  to  reside,  in  a  fine  old  family  mansion, 
until  the  death  of  Governor  Foote  in  1846. 

A  word  more  should  here  be  said  of  the  father  of  the  Ad 
miral,  for  from  him  the  son  inherited  some  of  his  strongest 
traits  of  character. 

Samuel  A.  Foote  was  born  November  8, 1780.  Though  of 
a  delicate  constitution  in  childhood  and  youth,  he  prepared  for 
and  graduated  at  Yale  College  before  he  was  seventeen  years 
of  age.  He  subsequently  pursued  the  study  of  the  law  with 
Judge  Reeve,  of  Litchfield,  Connecticut,  until  impaired  health 
compelled  him  to  give  it  up ;  and  he  began  business  in  New 
Haven,  in  the  West  India  trade,  in  1803.  From  1817  to  1835 
he  was  in  public  life,  filling  all  the  chief  political  offices  in  the 
state.  While  governor  of  the  state  he  received  the  degree  of 
LL.D.  from  Yale  College.  He  was  a  notable  example  of  an 
intelligent  and  practical  American  statesman,  or,  perhaps,  the 
better  word  would  be  politician,  of  the  old  school,  with  the 
marked  conservatism  of  the  shrewd  men  of  his  state,  and  with 
the  still  higher  qualities  of  independence  and  firmness. 

These  sterner  traits,  enforced  often  by  a  severe  countenance 
and  piercing  look,  were  mingled  with  a  vein  of  kindly  humor, 
which  made  him  popular  with  all  classes,  and  even  with  his 


Governor  Samuel  A.  Foote.  2 1 

political  opponents ;  so  that,  through  his  known  inflexibility  of 
purpose,  that  could  not  be  turned  by  any  amount  of  outside 
pressure  or  party  drill,  and  his  courteous  manners,  he  truly,  as 
a  man,  wielded  a  great  influence.  His  mode  of  speaking  was 
simple,  and  as  in  conversation.  He  never  attempted  a  meth 
odized  discourse ;  but  aiming  directly  at  what  he  considered 
the  essential  thing,  and  developing  but  one  idea  at  a  time,  he 
soon  exhausted  what  he  had  to  say,  though  it  was  generally 
found  that  he  struck  at  the  heart  of  the  matter,  and  said  the 
true  and  weighty  word.  It  is  related  of  him,  however,  that 
he  fully  appreciated  the  value  of  the  ability  to  speak  well  in  a 
free  country,  and  encouraged  his  sons  to  train  themselves  in 
the  art  of  public  address. 

Undoubtedly  Andrew  learned  his  first  lesson  of  obedience 
— the  prime  word  in  a  sailor's  creed — at  home ;  yet  father 
and  son  were  so  much  alike  in  stubbornness  of  will  that  Gov 
ernor  Foote  once  said  that  he  thought  he  "  had  succeeded 
pretty  well  in  controlling  all  his  boys  with  the  exception  of 
Andrew — him  alone  he  had  only  attempted  to  guide"  Yet 
in  both  father  and  son  there  was,  as  has  been  said,  a  kindly, 
genial  vein  ;  and  they  were  both  what  might  be  truly  called 
popular  men  with  all  classes.  Courtesy,  indeed,  was  inculcated 
as  a  prime  principle  in  the  family  life ;  and  the  example  of 
Washington — the  American  gentleman  as  well  as  hero — was 
not  as  yet  forgotten.  This  gentler  side  of  the  Puritan  charac 
ter  and  education  is  sometimes  lost  sight  of.  Doubtless  there 
was  too  little  of  the  spirit  of  indulgent  sympathy  with  inno 
cent  enjoyment,  and  too  intense  a  stress  laid  on  obligation 
and  not  enough  on  love ;  but  the  Puritan  family  was  by  no 
means  like  a  planet  journeying  on  in  perpetual  eclipse.  It 
rolled  out  sometimes  into  broad  and  pleasant  sunshine  upon 
Thanksgiving  days,  election  days,  and  the  holiday  sports  of 
childhood  and  youth,  and  whenever  original  Anglo-Saxon 
humor,  good-nature,  and  cheerful  piety  fairly  asserted  them- 


22  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

selves.  We  have  but  to  add,  what  has  already  been  hinted, 
that  Governor  Foote,  being  himself  a  high-toned  Christian 
man,  reared  his  family  in  the  strict  principles  of  New  En 
gland  morality ;  religion,  as  the  foundation  of  character,  was 
laid  at  the  bottom.  Though  it  was  not  in  Andrew's  case 
the  immediate  cause  of  a  religious  life,  who  can  tell  what 
a  profound  influence  this  home  piety,  leading  the  mind  con 
stantly  to  view  the  practical  earnestness,  and  even  solemnity 
of  life — its  obligations  to  God — had  upon  his  whole  future 
career  ? 

In  regard  to  the  schoolmasters  and  school-days  of  Andrew 
Foote,  a  word  might  be  said — and  but  a  word — for  his  was  a 
nature  that  did  not  easily  take  mould  from  without,  but  rather 
developed  itself  by  a  native  force  from  within.  He  was  not 
a  man  of  thought  so  much  as  of  action.  The  strength  of  his 
nature  was  on  its  moral  side.  What  he  purposed  he  thought ; 
what  he  willed  he  did.  His  life  is  in  his  deeds.  Silent  in 
preparation,  issuing  from  deep  sources,  his  acts,  like  the  acts 
of  men  of  his  kind,  were  rapid ;  their  results  are  open  to  every 
eye,  and  the  world  does  not  care  very  much  to  know  about  the 
early  shaping  influences  of  a  power  which  is  noiselessly  gen 
erated  like  electricity  in  the  hidden  springs  of  nature.  In 
fact,  his  schools  and  schoolmasters  did  not  probably  have  much 
to  do  in  making  the  man.  He  drew  his  sagacity  to  plan,  his 
courage  to  dare,  his  power  to  act,  from  his  parents,  and  from 
the  nature  God  gave  him.  His  first  school — upon  entering 
which,  it  is  said,  he  made  a  desperate  but,  in  this  sole  instance, 
unsuccessful  fight  for  freedom — was  in  New  Haven,  and  was 
kept  by  Miss  Betsey  Bromham,  afterward  Mrs.  Austen,  who 
was  permitted  to  visit  the  Admiral  in  his  last  sickness  in  New 
York,  and  then  and  there  to  express  the  life-long  interest 
which  she  felt  for  her  former  child-pupil. 

When  the  family  removed  to  Cheshire,  Andrew  was  sent 
first  to  the  common  or  district  school  kept  in  that  village,  and 


School-days.  2  3 


afterward  was  placed  at  the  Episcopal  Academy  of  Cheshire, 
then  in  charge  of  an  able  and  noted  instructor,  Dr.  Tillotson 
Bronson. 

It  is  not  probable  that  young  Foote  distinguished  himself  as 
a  scholar,  for  that  was  not  his  bent ;  but  in  these  schools  in 
Cheshire  lie  became  fitted  to  pass  the  examination  then  re 
quired  to  become  a  member  of  West  Point  Military  Academy, 
the  entering  of  which  institution  was  a  kind  of  compromise 
with  his  parents,  since  he  had  already  declared  his  intention 
of  going  into  the  Navy,  to  which  his  mother  was  particularly 
opposed.  We  may,  however,  suppose  that  his  school -years 
were  not  wholly  lost  time,  as  his  literary  attainments  and  pro 
ductions  in  after -years  gave  good  proof.  He  mastered  the 
common  English  branches,  and  always  wrote  in  a  clear  and 
flowing  style.  He  said  to  a  friend  in  the  latter  part  of  his 
life  that  he  had  never  read  a  book  through  consecutively,  but 
was  accustomed  to  glean  its  contents  by  a  rapid  glancing  over 
it,  and  that  he  had  found  this  to  be  the  method  of  some  dis 
tinguished  men.  One  of  his  schoolmates  at  the  Episcopal 
Academy  in  Cheshire  was  Gideon  Welles,  recently  Secretary 
of  the  Navy,  who  proved  to  be  one  of  his  warmest  friends, 
and  who,  in  the  trying  scenes  of  the  war,  gave  the  Admiral 
his  generous  and  unfailing  support.  From  the  testimony  of 
another  schoolmate,*  young  Foote  was  noted  while  at  the 
academy  for  his  amiability  and  tact  in  getting  out  of  the  dif 
ficulties  which  his  frolicsome  disposition  plunged  him  into; 
and  even  the  stern  old  doctor,  a  stickler  for  discipline,  was 
not  able  to  resist  his  winningly  frank,  gentle,  and  affectionate 
manners. 

This  healthy,  bold,  adventurous  boy,  we  may  imagine,  was 
learning  a  great  deal  of  human  nature  and  of  the  world  that 
God  made  in  those  school-days  in  the  picturesque  country  vil- 

*  George  A.  Jarvis,  Esq.,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 


24  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

lage  among  the  green  Connecticut  hills.  He  knew  where  the 
tallest  hickory-trees  grew,  and  the  biggest  chestnuts  ripened : 

"  Knowledge  never  learned  of  schools, 
Of  the  wild  bee's  morning  chase, 
Of  the  wild  flower's  time  and  place, 
Flight  of  fowl  and  habitude 
Of  the  tenants  of  the  wood ; 
How  the  tortoise  bears  his  shell, 
How  the  woodchuck  digs  his  cell, 
And  the  ground-mole  sinks  his  well; 
How  the  robin  feeds  her  young; 
How  the  oriole's  nest  is  hung." 

He  fished  in  the  trout-brooks,  swam  in  every  stream,  and  ex 
plored  every  cave ;  and,  more  than  all,  he  explored  his  own 
heart,  and  found  out  what  he  was  made  for ;  for  early  in  his 
Cheshire  boyhood-life  he  stoutly  declared  his  intention  of  go 
ing  to  sea,  and  said  that  if  prevented,  he  should  do  so  the  mo 
ment  he  was  twenty-one  years  old. 

"West  Point  proved  a  stepping-stone  to  his  darling  plan.  He 
remained  at  the  Military  Academy  of  West  Point  but  a  few 
months — say  from  June  to  December— and  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  year  1822,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  was  transferred  to 
the  Navy. 


CHAPTEE  II. 

FIEST   CEDISES    AND    SEA-LIFE. 

THE  active  temperament  of  young  Foote,  ready  for  any 
thing  but  still  life  on  shore,  had  found  its  right  direction.  On 
the  4th  of  December,  1822,  he  was  appointed  acting  midship 
man,  and  was  stationed  on  board  the  schooner  Grampus,  under 
Commander  Gregory,  in  whose  fleet,  upon  the  coast  of  Africa, 
he  afterward  held  his  first  separate  command.  The  Gram 
pus  belonged  to  the  elder  Commodore  David  Porter's  squad 
ron,  which  was  sent  out  in  1823  to  break  up  the  piratical  nests 
among  the  West  India  Islands.  He  thus  entered  at  once  upon 
the  arduous  duties  of  his  profession.  He  was  thrust  into  the 
"  rough  and  ready "  school  of  the  older  naval  service ;  not 
passing  through  a  preparatory  academic  training  on  shore, 
which  is  a  comparatively  modern  invention.  His  habits  of 
promptness  and  discipline  were  learned  in  the  schoolroom  of 
old  ocean,  among  hard-handed  tars  and  the  stern  realities  of 
sea-life.  From  the  testimony  of  his  commander,  he  was  an 
eager  learner  in  the  duties  belonging  to  his  profession;  and 
at  whatever  hour  of  the  day  or  night  Lieutenant  Gregory  was 
called  on  deck,  there  would  be  found  Midshipman  Foote — 
in  Gregory's  own  words — "  dogging  his  heels :"  ready  to  aid 
in  taking  an  observation,  active  in  running  aloft,  and  with  his 
eye  and  hand  always  on  the  right  rope.  He  was  equally  de 
voted  to  the  study  of  books  then  used  in  the  science  of  navi 
gation  ;  in  fact,  as  he  often  said,  his  life's  ambition  was  to 
make  himself  a  perfect  naval  officer — it  ran  in  the  line  of 
his  profession.  The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  boyish 
letter,  dated  on  board  the  United  States  schooner  Grampus, 


26  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

March  6,  1823,  and  addressed  to  an  early  friend  and  school 
mate  :* 

"  I  hope  you  will  excuse  my  negligence  in  not  writing  before  this  time, 
for  I  assure  you  that  it  did  not  proceed  from  want  of  affection,  but  on 
account  of  the  inconvenience  in  writing  while  at  sea  on  board  of  a  ves 
sel  of  this  tonnage.  To  my  great  astonishment  and  satisfaction  I  re 
ceived  a  midshipman's  appointment,  which  you  probably  recollect  I  ap 
plied  for  a  short  time  before  going  to  West  Point.  We  left  the  port  of 
New  York  on  the  1st  of  January,  1823,  and  filled  away  for  Tampico;  and 
we  have  made  the  ports  of  Matanzas,  Havana,  Tampico,  and  New  Or 
leans.  When  we  left  Havana  for  Tampico,  and  had  made  the  land,  the 
wind  commenced  blowing  a  heavy  gale  from  the  northeast,  so  that  it  car 
ried  away  our  topmast  studding-sail  boom,  and  sprung  our  mainmast. 
She  took  in  hogsheads  of  water  in  the  wardroom  and  steerage ;  life- 
ropes  were  rove  on  the  windward  side  of  the  vessel,  and  one  of  the 

officers  observed  that  '  we  were  going  to with  studding-sails  set.' 

This  gale  was  much  more  severe  than  it  was  in  September,  about  sixteen 
months  since.  I  am  very  well  pleased  with  the  service.  I  had  a  desire  to 
visit  foreign  nations.  The  duty  of  the  officers  is  nearly  as  hard  as  that  of 
the  men,  as  we  have  to  be  on  the  watch  one  third  of  the  time  day  and 
night,  four  hours  on  and  eight  off." 

He  was,  above  all,  in  this  first  cruise,  introduced  to  the  most 
severe  perils  and  hardships  of  the  naval  service  in  the  pursuit 
of  pirates  among  the  reefs  of  the  Gulf.  These  pirates  were 
the  lineal  descendants  of  the  freebooters  who  at  the  end  of 
the  seventeenth  century  established  themselves  in  the  West 
India  seas  to  prey  upon  Spanish  commerce.  The  unquiet 
spirits  of  all  countries  resorted  to  them.  Issuing  from  their 
strongholds — the  island  of  Tortuga,  on  the  west  coast  of  St.  Do 
mingo,  and  Port  Royal,  in  Jamaica — they  committed  such  au 
dacious  and  successful  robberies  on  the  Spanish -American 
cities  as  to  win  almost  the  honors  of  legitimate  heroes,  f  The 
original  buccaneers,  however,  who  had  some  show  of  legaliza- 


*  William  A.Browne,  of  Cheshire,  Connecticut. 

t  Hildreth's  History  of  the  United  States,  vol.  it,  p.  38. 


Among  the  Pirates  of  the  Gulf.  27 

tion,  degenerated  into  regular  pirates,  who,  later  in  the  eight 
eenth  century,  in  Captain  Kidd's  time,  were  the  terror  of  the 
seas,  and  who  with  waning  power  continued  their  depreda 
tions  until  their  final  extinction  by  the  American  Navy.  With 
picked  crews  in  open  boats  the  officers  cruised  among  the  in 
numerable  islands  of  the  Cuban  archipelago,  where  many  a 
bloody  sea-fight  had  taken  place : 

"  The  scream  of  rage,  the  groan,  the  strife, 

The  blow,  the  gasp,  the  horrid  cry, 
The  panting,  throttled  prayer  for  life, 

The  dying's  heaving  sigh, 

The  murderer's  curse,  the  dead  man's  fixed,  still  glare, 
And  fear's  and  death's  cold  sweat — they  all  were  there !" 

Our  poet  Dana's  sombre  fancy  did  not  overdraw  those  hor 
rid  scenes  when  the  reign  of  these  desperadoes  was  at  its 
height.  The  phantom  of  the  "long,  low,  black-hulled"  craft 
lingers  in  these  seas  even  to  this  day.  The  American  Navy 
has  prided  itself  on  the  thoroughness  of  the  work  it  did  in 
abolishing  the  whole  thing.  It  swept  this  curse  from  the  seas. 
Not  unfrequently  the  wily  foe,  who  eluded  pursuit  in  a  thou 
sand  ways,  turned  and  challenged  the  avengers  of  blood  to 
hand-to-hand  conflict.  For  six  months  of  the  time  officers 
were  out  boating  on  these  stormy  waters,  and  it  is  said  that 
young  Foote  personally  distinguished  himself  in  this  service. 
He  certainly  acquired  those  habits  of  discipline,  skill,  and  dar 
ing  which  afterward  were  so  useful  to  him,  and  which  could 
not  have  been  learned  under  the  best  masters  on  shore. 

On  the  6th  of  December,  1823,  he  was  transferred  from  the 
Grampus  to  the  Peacock,  commanded  by  William  Carter, 
master  commandant;  and  on  the  llth  of  the  same  month  he 
was  warranted  as  midshipman.  The  Peacock  belonged  to  the 
Pacific  squadron,  under  Commodore  Hull.  Before  sailing,  in 
a  letter,  dated  January  29, 1824,  he  gives  vent  to  a  thought 
less,  ambitious  wish  for  action  : 


28         .  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

"  We  are  ready  for  sea,  and  only  waiting  for  sailing  orders  from  the 
Department ;  but  we  hear  little  from  Washington  except  the  next  Presi 
dential  election,  the  Greek  cause,  and  the  Holy  Alliance,  which  I  sincerely 
hope  may  produce  a  war.  Then  the  prospect  of  the  naval  officer  would 
brighten,  and  in  the  space  of  a  few  years  would  elevate  us  who  are  now 
in  service  to  the  highest  rank,  which  will  take  some  time  if  the  country 
remain  at  peace  with  all  nations  much  longer." 

The  Peacock  sailed  from  Norfolk  for  the  Pacific  on  the 
29th  of  March,  1824.  During  the  period  of  this  South  Amer 
ican  cruise,  which  covered  three  years  of  service,  our  Navy 
was  compelled  to  observe  a  strict  neutrality  in  the  wars  of 
liberation  of  the  South  American  republics  with  old  Spain, 
which  was  a  difficult  and  certainly  not  an  enviable  position 
for  Americans,  although  there  seemed  to  be  lacking  the  ele 
ments  of  that  high  morality  and  that  capacity  for  self-govern 
ment  which  dignified  our  own  struggle  for  independence. 
Foote  was  detached  from  the  Peacock  and  transferred  to  the 
frigate  United  States,  Commodore  Isaac  Hull  commanding, 
September  8,  1824.  A  letter  written  during  this  period  to 
his  Cheshire  friend  and  schoolmate  is  worth  transcribing,  not 
as  containing  any  thing  brilliant,  but  as  being  the  letter  of  a 

manly  youth : 

*'  U.  S.  FRIGATE  '  UNITED  STATES,'  ) 
CALLAO,  PERU,  Sept.  15, 1824.      i 

"DEAR  FRIEND,  —  I  have  so  much  to  communicate  that  this  small 
sheet  will  admit  of  giving  no  more  than  a  concise  detail  of  circumstances 
which  have  fallen  to  my  observation. 

"  Until  our  arrival  at  Callao  we  experienced  in  our  little  ship  every 
pleasure  and  hardship  incident  to  a  mariner's  life.  A  few  days  after  our 
departure  from  the  United  States  we  had  a  very  heavy  thunder-storm,  and 
one  flash  of  lightning  struck  the  ship,  killing  four  men  instantly  and 
wounding  several  others  dangerously,  who,  however,  have  recovered  par 
tially  ;  yet  the  greater  part  of  them  will  never  perfectly  be  restored. 
From  that  time  to  our  arrival  at  Rio  Janeiro  nothing  worthy  of  mention 
took  place.  For  a  description  of  that  city,  I  refer  you  to  John's  letters. 
After  spending  ten  pleasant  days  at  Rio,  we  weighed  anchor  and  stood 


In  South  America.  29 

to  the  southward  and  westward,  shaping  our  course  round  Cape  Horn. 
The  weather  as  we  made  southing  grew  cold  very  sensibly,  owing  to  the 
winter  having  already  set  in.  We  were  as  far  south  as  60°  15';  and,  in 
the  winter  month  of  January,  it  is  useless  to  add  we  suffered  from  the  in 
clemency  of  the  weather.  You  know  by  experience  the  cold  weather 
which  prevails  in  the  mild  climate  of  41°;  then  judge  its  severity  in  that 
of  60°,  adding  to  this  the  constant  heavy  gales  prevalent  off  the  Cape. 
However,  our  time  would  have  been  rather  more  pleasant  had  the  small 
pox  not  have  paid  us  a  long  and  exterminating  visit.  We  lost  twelve 
valuable  men.  by  this  disease,  and  at  a  time  when  the  ship  appeared  to 
be  at  the  mercy  of  the  waves.  Their  loss  was  severely  felt,  owing  to  the 
fact  that  the  vessel  was  then  too  short-manned.  But  after  an  unpleasant 
run  of  fifty-six  days,  we  arrived  at  Valparaiso,  as  light-hearted  and  in 
rather  better  spirits  than  when  we  left  Rio.  Owing  to  Commodore  Hull 
being  at  Callao,  our  stay  at  Valparaiso  was  short.  We  left  with  a  convoy 
for  Callao,  first,  however,  lauding  the  American  consul  at  Coquimbo  ;  we 
then  made  the  harbor  of  Callao  on  the  15th  of  August,  and  here  saw  the 
broad  pendant  of  Commodore  Isaac  Hull.  We  saluted  him  with  the 
usual  number  of  guns  that  his  rank  was  entitled  to.  Our  time  was  now 
pretty  actively  employed,  the  revolutionary  state  of  the  country  rendering 
it  necessary  for  us  to  keep  on  the  alert,  owing  to  the  advantage  the  pri 
vateers  took  of  seizing  and  condemning  our  merchant  ships,  under  pre 
tense  of  their  being  engaged  in  smuggling  arms  to  the  Patriots.  A  few 
days  after  our  arrival  the  Peruvian  admiral  entered  the  harbor  with  a  frig 
ate  and  two  brigs,  and  blockaded  the  harbor,  the  Spaniards  having  at  the 
time  one  frigate,  two  brigs,  and  ten  gun-boats.  No  signs  of  an  attack  were 
made  by  the  Spaniards  until  Sunday,  the  5th  of  this  month,  when  the 
gun-boats  pulled  for  the  brig,  which  unfortunately  came  out  of  gun-shot 
of  the  frigate.  The  attack  commenced  with  every  prospect  of  crowning 
the  Royalists  victors ;  but  their  want  of  courage  enabled  the  brig  to  haul 
under  cover  of  the  frigate  before  she  received  any  serious  injury.  After 
a  spirited  engagement  of  one  hour,  the  Spaniards  retreated  with  the  loss 
of  about  thirty  men  killed,  and  nearly  the  same  number  wounded  ;  two 
boats  sunk,  and  seven  others  badly  injured.  The  loss  of  the  Patriots  was 
one  killed  on  board  the  brig,  and  two  in  the  frigate.  The  Spaniards, 
since  their  unsuccessful  attack,  seem  to  be  little  disposed  to  hazard  an 
other  engagement.  The  Royalists  at  the  time  were  in  constant  expecta 
tion  of  a  heavy  naval  reinforcement  from  Spain.  The  12th  of  this  month 
the  Asia  and  Constantia  arrived,  the  former  a  74-gun  ship,  the  latter  a 


30  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

22-gun  brig.  The  Patriots'  force  at  this  time  consisted  of  a  36-gun  frig 
ate,  and  one  small  10-gun  brig.  The  Spanish  force,  you  will  perceive, 
was  greatly  superior.  Notwithstanding,  Admiral  Grey  slipped  his  cable, 
stood  out  of  the  harbor,  hove  to,  and  fired  three  44's  at  the  Spaniards ; 
hauled  up  his  courses,  and  waited  for  the  Spanish  frigate ;  but  she  most 
cowardly  made  sail,  and  declined  an  engagement.  As  she  passed,  we 
were  at  quarters,  and  it  would  have  taken  little  provocation  from  her  to 
have  been  complimented  with  a  broadside  from  Uncle  Isaac.  I  will  now 
pass  over  the  strife  between  the  two  hostile  parties,  and  mention  my  ob 
ject  in  becoming  attached  to  the  flag-ship.  On  the  arrival  of  the  Peacock, 
some  difficulty  took  place  in  regard  to  Captain  Carter,  which  terminated 
in  his  return  to  the  United  States.  Several  of  the  officers  left  the  Peacock, 
and  joined  other  ships ;  and  I  was  induced  to  send  to  Commodore  Hull 
an  application  for  his  ship,  it  being  larger  than  the  Peacock,  and  the  ac 
commodation  better.  I  came  on  board  on  the  8th.  The  commodore  has 
Ms  wife  and  Miss  Hart  with  him.  We  get  a  glance  at  them  occasion 
ally.  Excuse  haste  and  deficiencies,  and  believe  me  your  friend, 

"  ANDREW  H.  FOOTE." 

Ill  another  letter  to  the  same  friend,  dated  Chorilos,  Au 
gust  12,  1825,  he  farther  speaks  of  his  Pacific  coast  expe 
riences  : 

"  We  are  now  lying  in  an  open  roadstead  unprotected  from  the  sea, 
consequently  the  motion  is  very  troublesome,  and  the  surf  at  times  so 
heavy  as  to  render  landing  dangerous.  It  is  necessary  to  make  this  the 
port  of  entry,  as  Callao  is  blockaded  by  a  squadron  consisting  of  seven 
sail,  two  of  which  are  frigates.  As  soon  as  Callao  falls  we  shall  return 
to  that  port ;  but  when  she  will  capitulate  is  uncertain,  as  the  city  ex 
pends  from  two  to  three  hundred  shot  daily,  and  is  well  provisioned. 

"  We  have  less  opportunity  for  enjoying  ourselves  on  shore  than  we 
had  in  Chili,  as  Lima  is  nine  miles  distant,  and  Chorilos  a  small  place 
containing  but  a  few  huts.  A  party  of  us  visited  Lima  a  short  time  since, 
where  we  spent  four  days  very  pleasantly.  The  city  may  still  be  styled 
one  of  the  richest  cities  in  the  world,  although  poor  to  what  it  was  be 
fore  the  revolution.  During  the  struggle  it  has  alternately  been  in  pos 
session  of  Royalists  and  Patriots,  who  have  robbed  the  churches  of  vast 
quantities  of  plate.  From  a  single  altar  was  coined  one  hundred  thou 
sand  dollars.  We  saw  the  grand  palace  where  Pizarro  resided ;  also  the 
apartment  in  which  he  was  assassinated.  I  forgot  to  mention  the  walk- 


A  Disappointment.  31 

ing-dress  of  the  ladies,  which  is  admirably  calculated  to  carry  on  an  in 
trigue.  The  part  from  the  waist  down  contains  thirty  yards  of  silk,  plaited 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  set  perfectly  smooth,  in  order  to  show  a  fine  shape. 
The  robe  covering  the  head  is  also  silk,  and  large  enough  to  conceal  tlje 
face  excepting  one  eye.  Equipped  in  this  manner,  I  have  seen  ladies 
watch  the  movements  of  their  husbands  by  following  them  through  the 
city,  the  virtuous  not  being  distinguished  from  the  vicious." 

We  find  among  the  officers  then  sailing  in  the  United  States 
the  familiar  names  of  H.  Paulding,  C.  H.  Davis,  William  C. 
Nicholson, Thomas  T.  Craven,  H.  K.  Thatcher,  and  James  Arm 
strong. 

Returning  to  'New  York  in  the  United  States  from  this  three- 
years'  service,  April  25, 1827,  Andrew  successfully  underwent 
his  examination  for  passed  midshipman.  He  had  been  labo 
riously  preparing  himself  for  this  by  availing  himself  of  all 
opportunities  of  study  and  observation  in  his  reach;  and  Ad 
miral  Davis  says  of  this  examination  that  Foote  and  himself 
got  news  of  it  together,  and  the  question  was  how  to  get 
ready  ?  They  at  once  set  about  their  preparation  with  great 
earnestness,  consulting  what  books  they  had  access,  to,  but 
chiefly  making  practical  observations,  and  reducing  the  sci 
ence  of  their  profession  to  a  regular  working  system. 

Foote  had  been  up  to  this  time  four  years  and  five  months 
constantly  at  sea.  It  wTould  seem  as  if  he  had  earned  the  right 
to  a  little  rest  at  home ;  but,  as  if  it  were  expressly  so  planned 
by  his  superiors,  he  was  to  be  allowed  no  time  to  display 
his  midshipman's  uniform  ashore ;  and  on  the  26th  of  August, 
1827,  to  his  sore  disappointment,  he  was  sent  off  a  second 
time  to  the  West  Indies  for  a  brief  cruise,  first  in  the  Natchez 
and  afterward  in  the  Hornet,  to  which  he  was  transferred 
October  8, 1827.  He  had  set  his  heart  upon  making  a  cruise 
with  the  Mediterranean  squadron,  for  which  station  he  ap 
plied.  His  hopes  were  not  realized.  Something  better,  how 
ever,  than  the  gratification  of  his  desires,  or  even  the  educa- 

C 


32  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

tion  of  his  mind,  was  in  store  for  him.  A  change  of  character 
that  raised  him  to  a  higher  level  of  manhood  awaited  him  on 
this  short  West  India  voyage.  After  he  had  been  at  sea  some 
six  weeks  or  two  months,  his  mother  received  a  letter  from 
him,  in  which  are  these  words :  "  You  may  discharge  your 
mind  from  anxiety  about  your  wayward  son."  The  letter 
then  went  on  to  relate  that  one  of  the  lieutenants  of  the  ship 
had  spoken  to  him  soon  after  joining  the  Natchez  on  religious 
subjects,  and,  as  his  expression  was,  he  had  "  bluffed  him  off" 
by  saying  that  he  had  aimed  to  be  honorable  and  honest  in 
all  things,  and  that  would  do  for  him.  But,  after  getting  on 
the  station,  upon  a  beautiful  moonlight  night,  while  riding 
quietly  at  anchor,  the  same  officer  and  himself  being  on  duty, 
the  lieutenant  spoke  to  him  again  about  the  subject  of  relig 
ion,  and  with  such  earnestness  that,  as  he  said,  his  "  knees  for 
the  first  time  bowed  to  his  Maker ;"  and  as  soon  as  he  was 
released  from  duty,  he  took  his  Bible  and  went  into  the  steer 
age,  and  read  it  under  great  agitation  of  mind.  This  he  did 
for  two  weeks,  when,  upon  going  on  deck  one  day,  he  came  to 
the  resolution  that  "  henceforth,  under  all  circumstances,  he 
would  act  for  God;"  upon  which  his  mental  anguish  and 
trouble  vanished. 

In  this  simple  manner  he  recounts  that  event  in  his  history 
which  made  him  a  new  man,  and  a  true  Christian  hero.  It 
did  not  make  him  over  into  a  perfect  character,  but  he  was 
established  now  on  right  principles,  and  a  high  and  pure  im 
pulse  was  given  to  his  life ;  and  take  that  life  through,  at  sea 
and  on  shore,  in  battle  and  at  peace,  in  success  and  adversity, 
in  life  and  death,  we  shall  find  that,  by  divine  aid,  he  carried 
out  the  resolution  made  in  his  youth  that  "he  would  act  for 
God." 

It  should  be  said  here,  so  that  it  need  not  be  misunderstood 
by  the  reader,  that  this  is  the  biography  of  a  Christian  officer. 
He  thought  himself  to  be,  and  his  life  proved  that  he  was 


The  Beginnings  of  a  Religious  Life.  33 

right  in  thinking  himself  to  be,  a  religious  man.  His  faith, 
in  some  respects,  took  the  stamp  of  his  Puritan  training.  His 
religious  phraseology  was  that  which  was  in  ordinary  use  in 
New  England  homes  and  literature ;  but  it  was  a  pure  Chris 
tianity,  that  showed  itself  by  its  fruits.  In  the  case  of  Ad 
miral  Foote,  his  free  and  genial  temperament,  his  extensive 
acquaintance  with  men,  and  his  constant  voyaging  up  and 
down  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  served  to  make  him  catholic 
in  his  opinions;  but  none  of  these  influences  ever  succeeded 
in  effacing  the  strong  Puritanic  stamp  with  which  he  began 
his  religious  life ;  and,  as  a  reformer  in  the  naval  service,  it  is 
a  matter  of  thankfulness  that  they  never  did,  for  here  was 
nourished  the  invincible  will  in  right-doing  that  never  turned 
back  in  any  good  enterprise,  but  went,  like  an  iron  prow,  often 
roughly  enough,  through  the  most  time-honored  customs,  and 
always  straight  to  the  end. 

The  following  letter,  written  about  this  time  by  the  com 
manding  officer  of  the  Natchez,  though  but  a  simple  letter  of 
introduction,  seems  prophetic  in  its  expression  in  regard  to  the 
future  character  and  career  of  our  hero : 

"  UNITED  STATES  SHIP  '  NATCHEZ,'  PENSACOLA  BAY. 
"  SIR, — It  is  with  great  pleasure  that  I  have  it  in  my  power  to  state 
that  ^Midshipman  A.  H.  Foote  served  on  board  this  ship,  and  I  found  him 
to  be  a  young  gentleman  of  great  merit,  being  always  competent  and  at 
tentive  to  his  duty ;  and  I  am  impressed  with  the  belief  that  he  will  be 
come  a  very  valuable  officer.  Mr.  Foote  is  a  young  gentleman  of  the  first 
respectability,  and  of  the  finest  principles  and  feelings ;  and  his  whole 
conduct  while  he  was  attached  to  this  ship  has  met  my  cordial  approba 
tion — therefore  beg  leave  to  recommend  him  to  your  favorable  consider 
ation.  With  very  much  respect,  I  remain  your  obedient  servant, 

"GEORGE  BUDD. 
"  Commodore  Isaac  Chauncey,  Commanding  Naval  Officer,  N.  Y." 

The  Christian  consciousness  which  had  been  awakened  in 
the  youth  soon,  of  course,  as  in  the  case  of  many  others  in  like 


34  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

position  both  in  the  Navy  and  Army,  led  him  to  raise  the  ques 
tion  of  the  rightfulness  of  the  military  profession  as  a  calling, 
and  whether  he  could  consistently  remain  in  the  Navy.  When 
he  came  home  (which  he  did  in  the  Hornet  on  the  6th  of 
December,  1827)  he  made  known  his  scruples  to  his  father, 
who  asked  him  if  he  did  not  suppose  a  Navy  to  be  necessary, 
and,  considering  it  to  be  necessary,  if  there  should  not  be  good 
men  and  Christian  men  in  it.  This  sensible  and  practical  way 
of  putting  the  matter  seems  to  have  entirely  removed  his 
doubts,  as  he  never  appeared  to  be  afterward  troubled  upon 
this  point. 

Foote  was  detached,  January  1}  1828,  from  the  West  India 
squadron,  and  during  his  brief  stay  on  shore  he  was  married, 
June  22, 1828,  to  his  first  wife,  Caroline  Flagg,  the  daughter 
of  Bethuel  Flagg,  of  Cheshire,  Connecticut,  who  was  permitted 
to  cheer  his  arduous  life  but  a  comparatively  short  time.  She 
died  in  the  year  1838,  having  borne  him  two  children,  the  first 
of  whom,  named  Josephine,  lived  but  four  years ;  and  the  sec 
ond,  of  the  same  name,  was  born  in  1837. 

We  very  soon  find  our  hero  afloat  again  in  the  sloop-of-war 
St.  Louis,  twenty-four  guns,  to  which  he  was  appointed  Octo 
ber  5, 1828,  as  sailing-master,  under  the  command  of  Captain 
John  D.  Sloat.  They  sailed  from  Norfolk  to  the  Pacific  on 
the  14th  of  February,  1829.  Three  years  were  passed  in 
this  cruise  upon  his  old  station  in  the  Pacific,  comprising  the 
coasts  of  Chili,  Peru,  and  Central  America,  during  which  pe 
riod  he  was  appointed  acting-lieutenant ;  and  on  his  return  to 
the  United  States,  on  the  9th  of  December,  1831,  he  found 
awaiting  him  a  commission  as  lieutenant,  the  commission  bear 
ing  date  May  27, 1830.  Thus  slowly,  by  hard  work  and  good 
conduct,  he  was  creeping  up  the  ladder  of  official  preferment ; 
though  in  after -years  promotion  seemed  all  too  slow  to  his 
ardent  mind  thirsting  for  honorable  distinction. 

In  January,  1832,  he  was  detached  from  the  St.  Louis ;  and 


Voyage  of  the  "  Delaware?  35 

on  May  1, 1833,  he  was  assigned  to  the  Delaware^  seventy-four 
ship  of  the  line,  bearing  the  pennant  of  Commodore  Patterson, 
then  on  the  Mediterranean  station,  and  was  appointed  to 
the  honorable  post  of  flag-lieutenant  of  the  squadron.  The 
Delaware  sailed  from  Norfolk  to  the  Mediterranean  on  the 
30th  of  July,  1833.  During  this  trip  the  ship  touched  at  the 
principal  European,  Asiatic,  and  African  Mediterranean  ports ; 
and  a  party  of  its  crew,  of  which  Lieutenant  Foote  was  one, 
obtained  leave  to  visit  many  of  the  historic  points  up  the  Nile, 
in  Egypt,  and  also  in  the  Holy  Land.  They  landed  at  Joppa, 
and  went  to  Jerusalem,  explored  the  valley  of  the  Jordan, 
sailed  on  the  Dead  Sea,  and  climbed  Mount  Lebanon;  and 
we  may  be  sure  that  none  of  that  light-hearted  company  of 
young  officers  looked  on  these  sacred  scenes  with  fresher  de 
light  than  he  did,  who  had  been  a  constant  reader  of  the  Bible, 
and  who  had  devoted  his  life  to  the  Master  whose  footsteps 
once  glorified  these  rocks  and  vales.  A  lovely  daughter  of 
Admiral  Patterson,  who  with  her  two  sisters  accompanied  the 
party,  was  so  deeply  impressed  by  her  visit  to  Jerusalem,  and 
the  places  where  were  the  head-springs  of  our  Christian  faith, 
that  the  commencement  of  her  religious  life  was  dated  by 
herself  from  that  period ;  it  was  brief,  however,  for  before  the 
ship  reached  the  shores  of  America,  although  within  sight  of 
them,  Miss  Patterson  died,  and  was  buried  at  Norfolk,  at 
which  port  the  Delaware  ended  her  voyage. 

This  pleasant  cruise  of  the  splendid  ship  Delaware  was  a 
kind  of  triumphal  progress  all  the  way,  bearing  as  she  did  the 
flag  of  our  young  Republic,  that  was  every  where  recognized 
and  welcomed  as  the  emblem  of  freedom ;  and  we  may,  indeed, 
regard  this  voyage  of  pleasure  and  of  glory  through  the  classic 
waters  of  the  Mediterranean,  shared  by  our  hero  in  the  prime 
of  his  young  manhood,  with  health,  a  sound,  active  mind,  an 
honorable  position,  and,  above  all,  a  good  conscience  toward 
God  and  man,  and  made  as  it  was  before  he  had  a  great  bur- 


36  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

den  of  official  responsibility  laid  upon  him,  as  the  acme  of  his 
free  youth's  enjoyment  and  proud  satisfaction. 

In  a  private  letter  to  a  friend  in  Cheshire,  dated  Mahon, 
November  28,  1833,  he,  in  an  animated,  sketchy  manner,  de 
scribes  the  first  portion  of  the  cruise : 

"  I  presume  you  have  caught  an  occasional  glimpse  of  my  letters  to 
Caroline,  and  to  them  I  refer  you  for  a  detailed  account  of  what  has  oc 
curred  since  we  left  the  United  States.  Our  passage  across  the  Atlantic 
to  Cherbourg  and  in  the  English  Channel  was  unusually  pleasant,  as 
much  so,  in  fact,  as  a  large,  comfortable  ship,  pleasant  messmates,  fine 
weather,  and  the  agreeable  company  of  our  minister,  Mr.  Livingstone, 
and  his  family,  could  render  it.  On  our  arrival,  several  of  the  officers 
went  to  Paris,  were  presented  at  court,  dined  with  the  king,  and  were 
received  with  similar  marks  of  respect  by  his  ministry.  Our  chaplain, 
Mr.  Stewart,  who  is  a  man  of  fine  personal  appearance,  an  accomplished 
scholar,  and  a  polite  gentleman,  made  one  of  the  party.  He  told  me,  on 
his  return,  that  it  was  the  third  court  at  which  he  had  been  presented. 
I  believe  Mr.  S.  to  be  a  good  and  pious  man,  notwithstanding  I  have 
heard  when  at  home  he  was  extravagant  in  dress  and  courted  polished 
society.  Yet  this  opinion  has  doubtless  arisen  in  consequence  of  his 
having  a  handsome  person  and  pleasing  manners.  He  proposed  and  car 
ried  out  his  resolution  to  have  evening  prayers  on  board,  which,  except 
with  him  in  the  frigate  Guerriere,  stands  without  a  precedent  in  our  serv 
ice.  Yet  do  not  imagine  from  this  a  better  state  of  things  with  regard 
to  religion  existing  among  us.  Candor,  indeed,  compels  me  to  state  that 
but  three  or  four  out  of  nearly  one  thousand  souls  are  professing  Chris 
tians  ;  and  at  present  there  appears  to  be  no  more  interest  on  the  subject 
than  when  we  sailed  from  New  York.  Our  evening  prayers  are  rarely 
held,  and  sometimes  there  is  no  Sunday  service ;  yet  this  is  not  attribu 
table  to  unreadiness  on  the  part  of  Mr.  Stewart. 

"  On  the  return  of  the  officers  from  Paris  we  left  Cherbourg,  and  on 
the  following  morning  were  close  to  the  English  coast.  The  beauti 
ful  hedges  and  fine  appearance  of  the  country,  and  the  associations  with 
it  as  the  land  of  our  fathers,  gave  it  a  lively  and  exciting  interest  with 
me.  I  felt  disappointed  that  I  could  not  go  to  London ;  but  the  Paris 
party  were  absent  so  long  that  this  was  rendered  impracticable.  A  few 
days  after  leaving  the  coast  of  England  we  encountered  a  severe  gale  in 
the  Bay  of  Biscay ;  after  which  we  ran  down  the  coast  of  Portugal  in 


Voyage  of  the  "Delaware''  37 

sight  of  Lisbon  Rock.  The  wind  being  strong  and  fair,  two  days  brought 
us  off  Cadiz,  in  Spain,  and  not  far  from  the  place  where  Lord  Admiral 
Nelson  captured  the  combined  fleets  of  France  and  Spain,  near  Trafalgar. 
The  Sunday  following  we  anchored  at  Gibraltar,  a  place  you  know  re 
plete  with  interest.  We  remained  there  three  days,  and  then  proceeded 
up  the  Mediterranean,  passing  in  sight  of  Malaga  and  several  other  places 
of  note,  and  arrived  here  the  early  part  of  this  month. 

"  In  Mahon  is  the  second  largest  organ  in  the  world.  I  went  with  sev 
eral  other  officers  to  hear  it.  That  we  might  have  an  idea  of  the  power 
of  the  instrument,  a  tempest  was  represented  so  well — thunder,  wind,  and 
rain — that  it  seemed  to  be  real ;  and  the  church,  whose  walls  are  eight 
feet  thick,  had  a  tremulous  motion.  We  shall  probably  begin  to  cruise 
in  April.  Report  says  that  the  commodore  will  devote  the  summer  to 
pleasure,  and  we  shall  probably  visit  Naples,  Carthage,  Smyrna,  perhaps 
Constantinople,  and  other  points  of  interest." 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE  native  aptitude  of  Americans  for  the  sea  is  abundantly 
proved  in  the  history  of  the  American  Navy.  The  history  of 
England  has  not  been  more  wonderful  in  its  proofs  of  na 
tional  genius  for  maritime  operations  than  that  of  the  United 
States.  In  the  War  of  the  Revolution  there  were  no  two- 
decked  American  frigates,  properly  so  called;  and  yet  the 
small  ships  in  use,  imperfectly  equipped,  with  insignificantly 
light  metal  compared  with  their  adversaries,  manned  with  has 
tily  collected  crews,  gave  important  aid  in  that  great  struggle. 
The  early  exploits  of  John  Paul  Jones,  Dale,  Manley,  Barry, 
Nicholson,  Barney,  Rathburne,  and  Biddle,  in  their  active  little 
ships,  cutting  off  English  transports,  carrying  the  war  into  En 
glish  seas,  and  by  alertness  and  audacity  making  up  for  want 
of  force  and  organization  —  these  should  not  be  lost  sight  of, 
for  they  were  the  first  efforts  of  a  power  that  has  since  then 
contested  the  empire  of  the  seas  with  Great  Britain  herself. 
The  actual  Navy  of  the  Revolution  —  an  emanation  from  the 
sea  —  sank  back  as  suddenly  into  the  sea.  Nothing  was  left  of 
it.  For  the  exigencies  of  the  naval  war  writh  France,  and  for 
the  Algerine  and  Tripolitan  wars,  new  ships  had  to  be  built, 
and  an  entirely  new  system  organized.  Then  arose  another 
brood  of  naval  heroes,  wrho,  almost  by  their  individual  exer 
tions,  redeemed  our  country  from  the  imbecility  into  which  it 
sank  when  it  paid  tribute  to  the  Dey  of  Algiers,  and  was  pow 
erless  to  reclaim  its  hundreds  of  American  prisoners  rotting 
in  his  dungeons.  The  names  of  Decatur,  Preble,  Trnxton, 
Soiners,  Barron,  Bainbridge,  Chauncey,  Hull,  Porter,  are  now 


Increased  Popularity  of  the  Navy.  39 

with  us  as  household  words.  Some  of  these  continued  to  be 
names  of  inspiration  in  the  two-years'  contest  of  the  War  of 
1812,  in  which  others  of  equal  if  not  greater  celebrity — such 
as  Lawrence,  Stewart,  Perry,  and  Macdonough — were  added 
to  the  splendid  constellation.  In  the  War  of  1812,  our  Navy 
for  the  first  time  assumed  something  like  organization  and 
concentrated  efficiency.  But  at  the  beginning  of  the  War  of 
1812  we  were  worse  off  than  in  1801,  at  the  end  of  the  Rev 
olutionary  War.  We  had  actually  but  seventeen  cruising  ves 
sels,  nine  of  which  were  frigates;  while  Great  Britain  had 
more  than  a  thousand  ships  of  war,  of  which  between  seven 
and  eight  hundred  were  efficient  cruisers.  But  new  frigates 
were  at  once  built,  immense  activity  was  infused  into  the 
Navy,  and  the  government  devoted  its  special  attention  to 
this  department.  And  the  Navy  also  became  at  that  time 
more  popular,  and  was  sought  for  by  the  youth  of  the  best 
families  in  the  country.  Many  of  these  were  introduced 
almost  at  once  from  the  quiet  of  home  to  the  horrors  and 
carnage  of  the  naval  combat.  "  Perhaps  one  half  of  the 
lieutenants  in  the  service  at  the  peace  of  1815  had  gone  on 
board  ship  for  the  first  time  within  six  years  from  the  dec 
laration  of  the  war,  and  many  of  them  within  three  or  four. 
So  far  from  the  midshipmen  having  been  masters  and  mates 
of  merchantmen,  as  was  reported  at  the  time,  they  were  gen 
erally  youths  that  first  quitted  the  ease  and  comforts  of  the 
paternal  home  when  they  appeared  on  the  quarter-deck  of  the 
man-of-war."*  Young  Foote  might  be  numbered  among  these. 
He  went  from  the  bosom  of  well-regulated  family  life  in  the 
quiet  country  village  to  the  hardships  and  rough  realities  of 
the  naval  service.  It  is  true,  his  youth  had  fallen  upon  reac 
tionary,  peaceful  times;  but  doubtless  he  would  have  been  all 
the  more  ardent  to  join  the  Navy  had  there  been  hard  fight- 

*  Cooper's  Naval  History,  vol.  ii.,  p.  395. 


4O  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

ing  and  the  chance  of  winning  distinction.  As  it  was,  the 
first  years  of  his  sea-life  were  spent  in  long  cruises  (like  the 
one  we  are  now  to  relate),  which  have  in  them  little  of  the  stir 
of  warlike  achievement,  but  which  are,  on  the  contrary,  as  this 
one  proved  to  be,  in  the  immediate  interest  of  peace. 

On  the  4th  of  November,  1837,  Lieutenant  Foote  was  as 
signed  to  the  East  India  squadron,  under  command  of  Com 
modore  Read,  in  the  sloop-of-war  John  Adams*  and  Captain 
Wyman,  in  the  capacity  of  first-lieutenant,  or  executive  officer. 
The  John  Adams  was  an  old  ship  that  had  done  good  service  in 
the  Barbary  wars,  when  she  was  commanded  by  that  able  offi 
cer,  Captain  John  Rodgers.  She  was  built  at  Charleston,  South 
Carolina,  and  underwent  many  changes.  She  was  constructed 
for  a  small  frigate,  carrying  24  twelves  on  her  gun -deck; 
was  then  cut  down  to  a  sloop ;  next  raised  upon  to  be  a  frig 
ate  ;  and  finally  once  more  cut  down.  It  is  said  that  the  ship 
was  built  by  contract,  and  that  the  original  contractor  let  out 
one  side  of  her  to  a  sub-contractor,  who,  in  a  spirit  of  economy, 
so  much  reduced  her  moulds  that  the  ship  had  actually  sev 
eral  inches  more  beam  on  one  side  than  the  other.  As  a  con 
sequence,  she  both  bore  her  canvas  and  sailed  better  on  one 
tack  than  on  the  other.  The  John  Adams  was  rebuilt  en 
tirely,  and  became  one  of  the  most  beautiful  ships  in  the  Navy.* 
Ships  acquire  a  certain  kind  of  personality,  and  through  every 
spar,  timber,  and  bolt  there  seems  to  run  an  individual  life. 
Thus  the  old  Constitution  was  called  "  a  lucky  ship ;"  and 
she  never  lost  this  character.  "  In  all  her  service,  as  well  be 
fore  Tripoli  as  in  this  war  (1812),  her  good-fortune  was  re 
markable.  She  never  was  dismasted,  never  got  ashore,  or 
scarcely  ever  suffered  any  of  the  usual  accidents  of  the  sea. 
Though  so  often  in  battle,  no  very  serious  slaughter  ever  took 
place  on  board  of  her.  One  of  her  commanders  was  wounded, 

*  Cooper's  Naval  History,  vol.  ii.,  p.  31,  note. 


Voyage  Round  the  World.  41 

and  four  of  her  lieutenants  were  killed,  two  on  her  own  decks, 
and  two  in  the  Intrepid;  but,  on  the  whole,  her  entire  career 
had  been  that  of  what  is  usually  called  '  a  lucky  ship.'  Her 
fortune,  however,  may  perhaps  be  explained  by  the  simple 
fact  that  she  had  always  been  well  commanded.  In  her  last 
two  cruises  she  had  probably  possessed  as  fine  a  crew  as  ever 
manned  a  frigate.  They  were  principally  New  England  men : 
and  it  has  been  said  of  them  that  they  were  almost  qualified 
to  fight  the  ship  without  her  officers."*  The  John  Adams 
had  no  such  brilliant  record  as  the  "  old  Ironsides?  but  had 
been  nevertheless  a  serviceable  and  fortunate  ship ;  and  the 
name  of  this  vessel  serves  to  connect  the  different  epochs  of 
our  naval  history,  and  to  bring  down  the  past  into  the  present, 
as  Admiral  Foote  himself  unites  the  old  and  the  new,  and 
forms  a  connecting  link  between  the  ancient  and  modern  pe 
riods  of  the  American  Navy.  He  belongs  to  both  periods, 
although  his  most  famous  actions  lie  in  the  circle  of  very  re 
cent  events.  The  voyage  of  the  John  Adams,  in  which  we 
are  now  particularly  interested,  was  really  one  of  the  circum 
navigation  of  the  globe.  They  sailed  around  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  to  Bombay,  Canton,  Manilla,  the  Sandwich  and  Society 
Islands,  the  coast  of  Chili,  and  doubled  Cape  Horn ;  during 
which  cruise  the  ship  was  engaged  in  an  attack  on  the  pi 
rates  of  Sumatra,  and  especially  in  an  assault  upon  the  Asi 
atic  towns  of  Quallahbattoo  and  Arbucloo,  burning  the  latter, 
the  inhabitants  of  which  had  treacherously  murdered  the  cap 
tain  of  an  American  pepper-ship.  But  the  chief  interest  of 
this  cruise  is  concentrated  in  the  visit  to  the  Sandwich  Islands, 
on  which  occasion  Lieutenant  Foote,  now  thirty-two  years  old 
and  a  man  of  matured  character,  displayed  a  prompt  energy 
and  a  loyalty  to  cherished  principles  of  duty. 

Many  English  ships  had  in  previous  years  exerted  a  most 

*  Cooper's  Naval  History,  vol.  ii.,  p.  378. 


42  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

deleterious  influence  upon  the  natives  of  the  islands  by  intro 
ducing  intemperance  and  other  vices;  but  in  July,  1839,  Cap 
tain  Laplace,  of  the  French  frigate  L"*  Artemise,  arrived  at 
Honolulu.  He  came  in  the  interest  of  the  Romish  mission, 
representing  the  queen  of  Louis  Philippe  as  a  patron  of  the 
missions  of  her  Church,  and  saying  that  he  had  come  by  order 
of  the  French  government  to  put  an  end  to  the  ill-treatment 
the  French  had  suffered  at  the  islands.  He  demanded  that 
the  Roman  Catholic  faith  should  be  granted  all  the  privileges 
that  the  Protestant  faith  enjoyed ;  that  the  King  of  the 
Sandwich  Islands  should  make  a  special  treaty  with  France, 
and  should  deposit  in  the  hands  of  the  captain  of  UArte- 
mise  twenty  thousand  dollars  as  a  guarantee  of  his  future  con 
duct  ;  and  that  if  these  and  other  equally  peremptory  con 
ditions  were  not  complied  with,  Captain  Laplace  declared  his 
intention  to  make  immediate  war  upon  the  islands.  He  sent 
letters  to  the  English  and  American  consuls,  informing  them 
of  his  intention  to  commence  hostilities  in  case  his  terms  were 
not  agreed  to,  and  offered  an  asylum  to  the  citizens  of  the  two 
nations  if  war  should  arise ;  but  in  the  letter  to  the  American 
consul  was  this  singular  language :  "  I  do  not  include  in  this 
class  the  individuals  who,  although  born,  it  is  said,  in  the 
United  States,  make  a  part  of  the  Protestant  clergy  of  this 
archipelago,  direct  the  counsels  of  the  king,  influence  his  con 
duct,  and  are  the  true  authors  of  the  insults  given  by  him  to 
France.  For  me  they  compose  a  part  of  the  native  popula 
tion,  and  must  undergo  the  unhappy  consequences  of  a  war 
which  they  shall  have  brought  on  this  country."  He  referred, 
of  course,  to  the  American  missionaries,  who,  for  the  reasons 
alleged,  were  not  to  be  recognized  and  treated  as  American 
citizens.* 

The  upshot  of  all  this  was  that  the  king  was  forced  to  com- 

*  Dr.  Anderson's  History  of  the  Sandwich  Islands  Mission,  p.  159. 


Affair  of  the  Sandwich  Islands  Mission.       43 

ply  with  the  conditions  above  mentioned,  and  to  sign  a  treaty, 
one  of  whose  articles  was  that  French  wines  and  brandies 
should  not  be  prohibited,  and  should  pay  a  duty  of  only  five 
per  cent,  on  their  value.  The  French  frigate  sailed  away  on 
the  20th  of  July ;  and  the  French  consul,  taking  advantage 
of  the  treaty,  used  his  efforts  so  successfully  to  introduce  wine, 
brandy,  and  tobacco,  that  the  port  was  flooded  with  these  ar 
ticles,  and  the  morals  of  the  native  population  were  greatly 
depraved.  A  violent  Romanist  party  was  raised  up,  and  the 
Protestant  missionaries,  who  had  not  injuriously  influenced 
the  government  in  their  special  measures  against  the  Roman 
Catholics,  were  nevertheless  defamed,  and  in  many  ways  great 
ly  annoyed  and  harassed.  In  the  following  October  the  United 
States  East  India  squadron  arrived  at  Honolulu ;  and  the  rest 
of  the  story  will  be  told  nearly  in  the  words  of  Lieutenant 
Foote,  who  wrote  out  a  statement  of  his  own  share  in  this 
transaction. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  squadron,  the  officers  heard  of  the  in 
fluence  which  the  late  visit  of  the  French  frigate  EArtemise 
had  exerted  upon  the  government,  the  mission,  and  foreign 
residents.  Their  first  impressions  were  unfavorable  to  the 
missionaries;  and  the  reports  in  circulation  were  of  such  a 
character  as  to  induce  many  of  them  scarcely  to  question  the 
propriety  of  the  proceedings  of  the  French  commander.  It 
was  said  that  the  missionaries  had  an  agency  in  framing  many 
of  the  penal  laws  of  the  government,  in  urging  persecution 
even  to  torture  against  Roman  Catholics,  and,  in  fact,  all  the 
mistakes  and  evils  in  the  political  and  social  condition  of  the 
islands  were  ascribed  to  them. 

At  the  expiration  of  the  first  week,  Lieutenants  Turner 
and  Foote  were  in  possession  of  facts  which  left  no  doubt  of 
the  innocence  of  the  missionaries  in  regard  to  the  motives, 
and,  with  but  few  exceptions,  the  judiciousness  of  their  acts. 
With  this  view  of  the  case,  Lieutenant  Foote  met  the  members 


44  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

of  the  mission,  and  urged  upon  them  the  necessity  of  applying 
at  once  to  Commodore  Read  to  order  a  court  of  inquiry,  com 
posed  of  the  officers  of  the  squadron,  with  power  to  summon 
witnesses,  enter  the  proceedings  on  record,  and  pronounce  an 
opinion,  or  at  least  to  put  on  record  all  the  facts  bearing 
upon  the  case.  The  suggestion  was  immediately  adopted :  a 
letter  was  drawn  up  and  laid  before  the  commodore,  urging 
an  investigation.  Several  days  having  elapsed  without  an 
answer,  Foote  again  met  the  mission,  urging  them  to  reiterate 
their  request.  This  was  done,  and  on  the  30th  the  commodore 
replied  to  the  communications  from  the  mission,  declining  to 
act.  This  put  a  new  aspect  on  the  question.  Lieutenants 
Turner  and  Foote  at  once  formed  a  plan  to  give  currency  to 
the  correspondence  and  action  thus  far  secured,  feeling  that 
in  the  lack  of  an  investigation  it  was  important  to  do  some 
thing  to  place  the  real  merits  of  this  question  before  the  public. 
It  was  determined  to  make  an  effort  to  induce  the  officers 
generally  to  subscribe  their  names  to  a  letter  prefixed  to  Mr. 
Castle's  article,  and  to  the  correspondence  with  the  commo 
dore,  the  king,  the  consul,  and  the  mission.  A  letter  was 
drawn  up  and  was  signed  unanimously  by  the  wardroom 
officers  of  the  John  Adams,  and,  as  no  others  were  asked,  it 
was  then  sent  to  the  Columbia,  where  it  received  the  signa 
tures  of  the  officers,  with  two  or  three  exceptions. 
This  is  a  copy  of  the  letter : 

"  We,  the  undersigned  officers  of  the  United  States  East  India  squad 
ron,  having  upon  our  arrival  at  this  place  heard  various  rumors  in  rela 
tion  and  derogatory  to  the  American  mission  at  these  islands,  feel  it  to 
be  due  not  only  to  the  missionaries  themselves,  but  to  the  cause  of  truth 
and  justice,  that  the  most  unqualified  testimony  should  be  given  in  the 
case,  and  do  therefore  order  one  thousand  copies  of  the  annexed  article 
and  correspondence  to  be  printed  for  gratuitous  distribution,  as  the 
most  effectual  method  of  settling  this  agitated  question  in  the  minds  of 
an  intelligent  and  liberal  public. 

"  Being  most  decidedly  of  the  opinion  that  the  persons  composing  the 


Letter  of  the  American  Officers.  45 

Protestant  mission  of  these  islands  are  American  citizens,  and  as  such 
entitled  to  that  protection  which  our  government  has  never  withheld, 
and  with  unwavering  confidence  in  the  justice  which  has  ever  character 
ized  it,  we  rest  assured  that  any  insult  offered  to  this  unoffending  class 
will  be  promptly  redressed.  It  is  readily  admitted  that  there  may  be  in 
the  operation  of  this,  as  well  as  in  other  systems  in  which  fallible  man 
has  an  agency,  some  objectionable  peculiarities;  still  as  a  system  it  is 
deemed  comparatively  unexceptionable,  and  believed  to  have  been  pur 
sued  with  the  professed  principles  of  the  society  which  it  represents ;  and 
it  would  seem  that  the  salutary  influence  exerted  by  the  mission  on  the 
native  population  ought  to  commend  it  to  the  confidence  and  kind  feel 
ings  of  all  interested  in  the  dissemination  of  good  principles. 

"  GEOKGE  A.  MAGRUDER,  Lieutenant. 
ANDREW  H.  FOOTE,  Lieutenant. 
JOHN  W.  TURK,  Lieutenant. 
THOMAS  TURNER,  Lieutenant. 
JAMES  S.  PALMER,  Lieutenant. 
EDWARD  R.  THOMSON,  Lieutenant. 
AUGUSTUS  H.  KILTY,  Lieutenant. 
GEORGE  B.  MINOR,  Lieutenant. 
JOHN  HAZLETT,  Surgeon  of  the  Fleet. 
JOHN  A.  LOCKWOOD,  Surgeon. 
DANGERFIELD  FONTLEROY,  Purser. 
ROBERT  B.  PEGRAM,  Master. 
FITCH  W.  TAYLOR,  Chaplain. 
JOSEPH  BEALE,  Assistant  Surgeon. 
J.  H.  BELCHER,  Professor  of  Mathematics. 
A.  G.  PENDLETON,  Professor  of  Mathematics." 

The  "article"  referred  to  in  the  letter,  to  be  printed  with, 
the  correspondence,  was  an  able  article  written  by  Mr.  Castle, 
a  leading  member  of  the  mission,  and  published  in  the 
Hawaiian  Spectator,  which  contained  the  evidence  upon 
which  the  unqualified  expressions  of  the  letter  were  based.  It 
furnished  many  facts  in  reference  to  the  history  of  the  Ameri 
can  mission  in  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  especially  in  regard 
to  the  relations  of  the  mission  with  the  Koman  Catholics, 
proving  that  the  missionaries  had  opposed  all  means  of  con- 


46  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

tending  against  the  Roman  Catholics  other  than  those  of  rea 
son  and  truth.  The  rigid  ecclesiastical  discipline,  the  uncom 
promising  opposition  to  intoxicating  liquors,  the  exposing  of  the 
vice  and  evils  of  licentiousness,  and  the  marked  preference 
given  to  the  Protestant  faith,  were  really  the  head  and  front  of 
the  missionaries'  offending.  The  mission  had  no  doubt  repre 
sented  the  tenets  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  to  be  hostile 
to  the  religious  and  political  welfare  of  a  nation,  and,  whether 
this  were  true  or  untrue,  the  missionaries  were  justified  in  a 
free  expression  of  opinion  on  the  subject. 

Fifty  copies  of  these  papers  were  privately  struck  off ;  but 
it  appeared  that  an  imprudent  gentleman  had  walked  into  the 
office  and  taken  away  one  of  the  copies,  and  it  was  soon 
noised  abroad  that  the  officers  of  the  United  States  squadron 
had  published  a  severe  and  abusive  letter  in  the  interest  of  the 
mission  against  the  French  government.  The  excitement  at 
Honolulu  was  very  great.  The  French  consul  applied  to  the 
commodore  for  a  copy  of  the  offensive  letter,  that  he  might 
forward  it  to  his  government. 

On  Lieutenant  Foote's  meeting  with  the  commodore,  the 
latter  refused  to  read  the  letter  or  to  sanction  its  publication. 
He  was,  however,  finally  convinced  by  the  firm  arguments  of 
Foote  that  he  had  misconstrued  entirely  the  character  of  the 
letter;  that  it  contained  no  offensive  assault  upon  the  French 
government,  but  that  it  was  a  calm  statement  of  opinion  ab 
solutely  required  by  the  circumstances.  In  a  conversation 
which  followed  with  the. French  consul  himself,  he  was  led  to 
admit  frankly  that  the  letter  was  unobjectionable  in  substance 
and  tone.  The  English  consul  concurred  in  this ;  and  a  paper 
was  drawn  up  and  signed  to  that  effect. 

By  these  conversations  and  explanations  the  excitement  was 
allayed,  anil  at  the  same  time  the  desired  immediate  publicity 
was  given  to  the  dignified  statement  of  the  American  officers 
in  support  of  the  mission,  and  all  ground  of  renewing  the  op- 


Prompt  Action  of  Lieutenant  Foote.  47 

position  to  the  mission  in  future  was  taken  away.  Eeal  serv 
ice  was  done  to  the  mission,  and  at  the  same  time  no  offense 
was  given  to  the  French  government,  while  its  agents  received 
a  salutary  check. 

Lieutenant  Foote's  spirited  conduct  received  the  formal  as 
well  as  hearty  thanks  of  the  missionaries.  It  was  all  that  he, 
a  subordinate  officer  in  the  squadron,  could  do;  but  it  was 
done — promptly,  thoroughly,  and  at  the  personal  risk  of  offi 
cial  disgrace,  and  perhaps  of  summary  dismissal  from  the 
Navy.  It  may  by  some  be  thought  to  have  been  an  irregular 
proceeding  and  an  unjustifiable  interference,  but  the  risk  was 
foreseen  and  deliberately  assumed.  It  was  the  act  of  a  man 
who  placed  duty  before  every  thing  else.  The  action  which 
was  taken  maintained  the  important  principle,  now  so  well 
recognized,  that  American  missionaries  are  American  citizens, 
and  that  wherever  they  are,  they  are  under  the  full  and  com 
plete  protection  of  their  country's  flag. 

D 


CHAPTEK  IY. 


FROM  the  Sandwich  Islands  the  John  Adams  sailed  to  the 
Society  Islands,  and  as  there  are  some  things  of  interest  in 
Lieutenant  Foote's  journal  of  the  voyage,  the  account  will  be 
continued  in  his  own  words : 

TAHITI,  December  18, 1839. 

"  We  arrived  at  these  islands  after  a  long  passage  of  thirty-one  days, 
running  a  distance  of  twenty-five  hundred  miles,  and  found  the  frigate 
Columbia,  bearing  the  broad  pennant  of  Commodore  Read,  which  came  in 
the  day  preceding.  These  islanders  have  made  less  advance  in  civiliza 
tion  than  the  people  of  the  Sandwich  Islands ;  for  although  churches  are 
large  and  Christianity  is  the  religion  of  the  land,  still  it  is  a  sad  fact  that 
licentiousness  to  a  frightful  degree  prevails,  and  scenes  of  the  most  re 
volting  kind  occur. 

"  The  men  are  larger  and  better  proportioned  than  in  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  and  the  women  are  beautiful.  Nature  has  been  so  bountiful 
that  labor  is  not  necessary  to  support  life.  All  vegetable  production  is 
of  spontaneous  growth.  Cattle  roam  in  the  mountains.  Streams  gush 
from  the  hills.  The  climate  is  healthful  during  the  year.  So  seductive 
are  these  islands  that  one  almost  ceases  to  wonder  at  the  mutiny  of  the 
Bounty. 

"L'Artemise  had  also  visited  these  islands,  and  imposed  restrictions 
scarcely  less  intolerable  than  at  the  Sandwich  Islands.  Captain  Laplace 
had  not  only  demanded  the  free  introduction  of  Romanism,  but  had  im 
posed  on  the  queen  the  tax  of  building  Catholic  churches. 

"As  the  mission  here  is  English,  and  no  tangible  act  of  which  we 
could  complain  had  been  committed,  of  course  we  had  nothing  to  do. 

"  The  object  of  our  visit  is  to  investigate  a  supposed  outrage  on  the 
American  flag.  The  former  American  consul  had  protected,  against  the 
laws  of  the  country,  some  French  Catholic  priests,  who  were  forcibly 
expelled  from  the  country,  wherein  he  transcended  his  powers,  and  an 


At  Otaheite. 


49 


attack  was  made  upon  him,  in  which  he  received  a  severe  wound,  and 
his  wife  met  her  death. 

"  I  can  imagine  no  greater  obstacle  to  the  progress  of  religion  than  is  to 
be  found  in  those  persons  who,  coming  from  different  parts  of  Christen 
dom,  pass  for  Christians,  and  yet  behave  so  badly.  There  are  some 
creditable  exceptions  among  the  residents,  and  far  be  it  from  me  to  say 
that  the  guilty  are  found  among  them  alone.  No ;  transient  visitors  are 
in  the  condemnation,  and,  until  quite  recently,  even  vessels  of  war  of  all 
nations  were  the  scenes  of  nocturnal  orgies  too  bad  to  relate.  This  ex 
plains  the  cause  why  there  is  so  little  reciprocity  of  feeling  among  mis 
sionaries  and  their  countrymen  and  foreign  visitors ;  and  this  shows  also 
that  little  weight  should  be  attached  to  the  opinions  and  censures  of 
men  whose  real  motive  in  decrying  attempts  to  diffuse  the  blessings  of 
Christianity  is  to  be  judged  of  by  their  own  manner  of  life. 

"As  to  the  Catholic  question,  this  is  briefly  the  history  of  it:  At  the 
Society  Islands,  where  the  London  Missionary  Society  has  for  forty  years 
been  successfully  employed  in  teaching  the  Christian  faith,  frequent  ar 
rivals  of  Catholic  priests,  and  French  men-of-war  to  enforce  their  claims, 
have  disturbed  the  mission  and  held  the  native  government  in  constant 
terror.  Several  years  since  two  French  priests  came  to  Tahiti  to  propa 
gate  Roman  Catholicism.  Queen  Pomare  and  her  chiefs  peremptorily 
ordered  them  to  leave  the  islands,  assigning  as  a  reason  that  it  was  con 
trary  to  her  laws  and  desires  that  any  other  religion  than  the  Protestant 
should  be  taught  in  her  kingdom.  They  persisted  in  remaining  until  it 
was  perfectly  convenient  for  them  to  leave,  the  American  consul  sustain 
ing  them  in  this.  He  placed  them  in  a  house  just  beyond  the  precincts 
of  the  consulate.  They  were  frequently  warned  to  re-embark  in  the  same 
vessel  which  brought  them,  and,  still  refusing  to  do  so,  the  queen's  order 
to  put  them  on  board  was  executed,  and  the  ship  proceeded  to  her  des 
tination,  Botany  Bay.  Some  weeks  after  they  returned  in  an  American 
vessel,  and  made  attempts  to  land,  which  were  resisted  by  the  natives. 
The  French  frigate  Venus,  Captain  Petit  Thouars,  arrived  at  Tahiti  soon 
after,  and  exacted  two  thousand  dollars  from  the  London  mission,  prob 
ably  to  reimburse  the  captain  of  the  American  vessel  for  his  detention, 
and  for  the  necessity  of  his  going  to  Valparaiso  in  consequence  of  the 
priests  not  being  permitted  to  land.  It  was  demanded  also  that  the 
French  Catholics  should  be  put  on  the  same  footing  with  the  Protestants. 
The  Veniis  was  followed  by  L'Artemise,  Captain  Laplace,  who  left  the 
islands  but  a  few  months  since.  This  frigate  having  run  on  a  coral  reef, 


50  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

was  with  difficulty,  by  the  assistance  of  the  natives,  got  into  port,  when 
she  underwent  extensive  repairs,  having  timber  and  all  necessaries  gra 
tuitously  furnished  by  the  queen.  At  the  expiration  of  six  weeks  she 
was  drawn  up  and  presented  her  broadside  toward  the  town,  and  a  mes 
sage  was  sent  to  Pomare  that  a  Catholic  church  must  be  built  at  her 
expense  wherever  there  was  a  Protestant  church,  and  that  the  same 
facilities  must  be  extended  to  Catholic  priests  as  to  Protestant  clergy 
men.  Fear  for  the  destruction  of  life  and  property  prevailed,  and  the 
terms  were  submitted  to.  How  this  will  be  viewed  in  England,  time 
will  disclose.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  English  and  our  own  govern 
ment  will  take  measures  to  prevent  such  outrages  in  the  future. 

"A  scene  took  place  in  the  wardroom  of  the  ship  which  bears  on  this 
subject.  While  at  Tahiti,  on  remarking  to  our  new  consul  that  I  could 
not  see  the  object  of  the  squadron's  being  detained  for  the  arrival  of  the 
queen,  he  said :  '  Oh,  it  is  exceedingly  important ;  the  queen  has  been 
duped  by  the  English,  and  regards  us  as  a  feeble  nation.  British  influ 
ence  will  try  to  prevent  her  coming.  I  wish  her  to  see  the  ships.  Their 
order  and  beauty  will  make  a  good  impression.  I  have  serious  fault  to 
find  with  the  English  consul,  and  also  with  Commodore  Wilkes  and  the 
exploring  expedition,  who  were,  however,  also  deceived  by  the  English, 
and  made  presents  to  the  children  of  the  English  mission,  totally  disre 
garding  the  insult  to  our  flag.'  After  running  on  in  a  rapid  manner,  I 
told  him  I  was  willing  to  read  any  documents  he  might  bring  forward, 
and  if  Commodore  Wilkes  had  acted  improperly,  it  was  his  duty  to  prove 
it.  No  man  should  shrink  from  doing  his  duty,  cut  where  it  may.  As  for 
the  missionaries,  if  they  had  been  guilty  of  the  charges  brought  against 
them,  of  all  persons  they  were  the  last  who  should  escape  with  impunity. 
The  next  day  the  consul  produced  his  documents.  They  consisted  of 
three  short  letters  between  Queen  Pomare  and  Commodore  Wilkes. 

"  The  letter  of  Commodore  Wilkes  contained  his  directions  from  the 
President  of  the  United  States  to  touch  at  Tahiti,  and  assure  the  queen 
of  the  good  feeling  toward  her  on  the  part  of  our  government,  and  to 
distribute  presents  among  her  subjects ;  and  that  the  President  expected 
the  queen  to  treat  our  consul  kindly,  to  give  him  a  lot  for  his  consulate, 
and  to  regard  him  as  the  supervisor  of  our  commercial  interests ;  and 
that  the  present  consul  had  been  sent  to  supersede  the  one  of  whom  she 
had  complained  as  protecting  French  priests  against  her  laws.  The 
reply  of  the  queen  was  short  and  in  a  conciliatory  tone,  she  evidently 
wishing  to  be  on  good  terms  with  our  government,  and  stated  that  the 


Extracts  from  Private  Journal.  5 1 

Roman  Catholics  were  not  Americans,  for  which  reason  she  insisted  upon 
their  being  taken  from  the  consul,  who  transcended  his  powers  in  pro 
tecting  them.  These  were  the  only  points  touched  upon  in  the  corre 
spondence  ;  and,  on  remarking  that  they  were  not  enough  to  sustain  the 
allegations  made  in  his  conversation  of  yesterday,  he  said  that  Com 
modore  Read  had  the  other  papers,  which  he  would  procure ;  but  he 
never  presented  them.  I  candidly  told  him  that  the  data  were  not  suf 
ficient  to  enable  me  to  form  an  opinion ;  but  from  what  I  had  read  and 
heard,  I  was  convinced  that  no  consul  had  a  right  to  throw  our  flag 
around  foreign  Catholics  to  shield  them  from  the  laws  of  a  government 
within  his  consulate." 

The  events  of  this  cruise  entered  deeply  into  the  religious 
feelings  of  Lieutenant  Foote,  and  his  private  journal  gives  in 
dications  of  great  mental  trials  and  heart-searchings. 

A  few  quotations  will  doubtless  prove  interesting  to  the 
readers  of  this  book,  for,  as  has  been  said,  though  not  a  perfect 
man,  the  springs  of  our  hero's  character  are  to  be  found  in  his 
religious  nature,  and  in  his  intense  and  unvarying  desire  to 
"  act  for  God."  These  meditations  show  that,  while  above  all 
a  man  of  action,  he  did  not  live  a  shallow,  surface  life,  but 
that  the  roots  of  his  actions  had  their  nourishment  in  a  more 
hidden  life : 

"  U.  S.  SHIP  '  JOHN  ADAMS,'  VALPAKAISO,  January  7, 1840. 

"  Discard  the  secret  whisperings  of  pride.  It  is  Christ  himself  that 
must  be  formed  in  the  soul  the  hope  of  glory.  Therefore,  my  soul,  look 
to  Jesus  your  Redeemer,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  your  Sanctifier,  and  give 
God  all  the  glory  for  every  good  impulse  of  the  affections. 

"  This  day  I  renewedly  dedicate  myself  to  God ;  and  although  trials  and 
temptations  await  me  in  a  man-of-war,  still  grace  is  sufficient  to  overcome 
all,  if  I  am  faithful  to  the  means  which  the  Holy  Scriptures  furnish. 
Enlighten  my. mind  to  cherish  clear  conceptions  of  thy  character,  oh 
God.  Communicate  thy  grace  to  my  dear  orphan  daughter,  that  she  may 
early  be  prepared  to  serve  thee." 

"  VALPARAISO,  February  7. 

"  This  day  I  observe  as  one  of  prayer  and  humiliation  for  the  manifold 
evils  of  my  heart.  I  deplore  the  ascendency  of  my  passions  and  my 


5  2  .       Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

pride.  The  world  appears  to  be  too  much  in  a  heart  that  is  dedicated  to 
God.  Blessed  Jesus !  show  me  my  true  character.  Give  me  a  view  of 
spiritual  things. 

"  I  resolve  to  watch  and  pray,  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  Christian  life  is 
a  warfare,  that  one  must  be  uncompromising  in  his  principles.  I  resolve 
to  guard  my  tongue  from  speaking  injuriously  of  others  ;  to  avoid  levity 
of  manner,  on  the  one  hand,  and  moroseness  on  the  other ;  to  perform  the 
executive  duties  of  the  ship  with  impartiality,  feeling  that  my  official  acts 
will  be  closely  criticised  on  account  of  my  profession  of  Christian  princi 
ples  ;  to  devote  every  day  suitable  time  to  meditation  and  prayer,  letting 
no  day  pass  without  one  hour  being  wholly  spent  in  religious  reading 

and  devotion." 

"AT  SEA,  March  19th. 

"  Who  shall  deliver  me  from  the  body  of  this  death  ?  Why  with  the 
fruits  of  holiness  can  not  the  Christian  be  satisfied  ?  Alas !  in  my  own 
case,  the  world,  its  honors  and  varied  sources  of  gratification,  steal  upon 
me  and  are  incorporated  into  all  my  plans." 

"  AT  SEA,  April  2. 

"  My  mind  being  in  an  unusual  state  this  day,  induces  me  to  note  the 
circumstance  notwithstanding  the  gale.  Some  trials  belonging  to  the 
service  cause  me  unpleasant  feelings,  but  especially  the  singular  deport 
ment  of  a  friend.  Earthly  ties  bind  us  to  the  world,  and  when  they  are 
sundered  we  should  throw  ourselves  on  Him  who  is  without  variableness 
or  shadow  of  turning. 

"  Oh,  enable  me  to  become  less  sensitive  to  mortal  friendships,  and 
transfer  my  affections  to  my  Redeemer;  and,  Heavenly  Father,  give  me 
influence,  that  souls  may  be  weaned  from  the  world  and  placed  supremely 
on  thee.  Bless  this  ship,  her  officers  and  men." 

"  AT  SEA,  April  22. 

"  Doubts  as  to  the  Christian  religion  suddenly  flashed  across  my  mind 
last  evening.  Why  are  these  things  ?  I  know  not,  unless  it  is  to  show  us 
our  weakness,  and  that  we  must  ever  in  this  warfare  rely  on  Christ." 

"  AT  SEA,  May  21. 

"  I  could  give  wings  to  my  faith,  such  are  my  views  and  feelings  to-day. 
But,  alas !  what  have  they  been  the  last  month  ?  Such  as  to  condemn  me, 
for  the  pride  and  vanity  about  the  appearance  of  the  ship,  instances  of 
passion,  and  coldness  in  my  devotions.  I  would  humble  myself  before 
God  this  day." 


Extracts  from  Private  Journal.  53 

"  AT  SEA,  June  9. 

"  We  are  rapidly  drawing  to  the  end  of  our  cruise,  a  good  emblem  of 
life ;  and  it  becomes  me  to  look  back  to  the  cruise  of  my  life  for  the  evi 
dences  that  Christ  has  been  formed  in  the  soul. 

"  The  coming  week  is  likely  to  be  one  of  excitement  to  me.  May  my 
weakness  prove  my  strength  !  Blessed  Redeemer,  to  thee  I  look  for  grace 
according  to  temptation. 

"  Our  Father,  I  renew  to  thee  this  day  my  obligations  and  vows  to  be 
thine — wholly  thine.  I  come  to  deplore  the  levity  of  my  character,  and 
yet  I  come  blessing  thee.  I  come  with  the  desire  to  be  taught  of  God 
through  Christ  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  so  to  live  and  act  in  my  situation  as 
to  thy  glory,  and  that  my  highest  ambition  may  ever  lie  in  being  conform 
ed  to  the  will  of  God.  Amen." 

Upon  the  thirty-fourth  anniversary  of  his  birth,  September 
12,  1840,  he  wrote : 

"  Oh  how  mingled  are  the  emotions  of  my  mind.  It  seems  as  if  love, 
joy,  gratitude,  on  the  one  hand,  with  sorrow  and  contrition  of  soul  on  the 
other,  were  all  at  work  within  me.  The  Christian  is  told  in  the  Word  of 
God  that  Christ  is  an  all-sufficient  Saviour,  and  he  is  able  and  ready  in  all 
circumstances  to  sustain  us  in  a  life  of  perfect  obedience,  if  we  exercise  faith 
in  him.  May  this  year  be  so  passed  as  to  meet  thy  acceptance ;  and  if  I 
am  to  leave  this  world  before  its  expiration,  enable  me  cheerfully  to 
acquiesce." 


CHAPTER  Y. 

NAVAL    ASYLUM    AT    PHILADELPHIA. CRUISE     OF     THE    "CUMBER 
LAND." NAVAL     ACADEMY    AT     BOSTON. 

HAVING  been  detached  from  the  John  Adams  June  24, 1840, 
Lieutenant  Foote  was  appointed  Nov.  22,  1841,  to  the  Naval 
Asylum  in  Philadelphia,  and  after  Commodore  Barren's  resig 
nation  the  full  charge  of  that  institution  during  the  last  two 
years  of  the  administration  of  Secretary  Upshur,  was  placed 
in  his  hands.  This  establishment  at  that  time  combined  the 
character  of  half  hospital  and  half  school,  and  was,  in  fact,  the 
first  of  our  home  institutions  of  a  like  kind  that  sprang  up  to 
meet  the  necessities  of  the  service.  The  Naval  Academy  at 
Annapolis  grew  out  of  this,  the  purely  educational  part  of  it 
having  been  transferred  to  Annapolis.  To  Lieutenant  Foote 
was  especially  assigned  the  care  and  education  of  midshipmen. 

"By  scraps  of  laws,  regulations,  and  departmental  instructions,  a  Naval 
Academy  has  grown  up,  and  a  naval  policy  become  established  for  the 
United  States,  without  the  legislative  wisdom  of  the  country  having 
passed  upon  that  policy,  and  contrary  to  its  previous  policy,  and  against 
its  interest  and  welfare.  A  Naval  Academy,  with  two  hundred  and  fifty 
pupils,  and  annually  coming  off  in  scores,  makes  perpetual  demands  for 
ships  and  commissions,  and  these  must  be  furnished,  whether  required  by 
the  public  service  or  not;  and  thus  the  idea  of  a  limited  Navy,  or  a  naval 
peace  establishment,  is  extinguished,  and  a  perpetual  war  establishment 
in  time  of  peace  is  growing  upon  our  hands.  Prone  to  imitate  every 
thing  that  is  English,  there  was  a  party  among  us  from  the  beginning 
which  wished  to  make  the  Union,  like  Great  Britain,  a  great  naval 
power,  without  considering  that  England  was  an  island,  with  foreign 
possessions,  which  made  a  Navy  a  necessity  of  her  position  and  her  policy ; 
while  we  were  a  continent,  without  foreign  possessions,  to  whom  a  Navy 
would  be  an  expensive  and  idle  incumbrance ;  without  considering  that 


Naval  Schools.  55 


England  is  often  by  her  policy  required  to  be  aggressive,  the  United 
States  never ;  without  considering  that  England  is  a  part  of  the  European 
system,  and  subject  to  wars  (to  her  always  maritime)  in  which  she  has  no 
interest;  while  the  United  States,  in  the  isolation  of  its  geographical 
position,  and  the  independence  of  its  policy,  can  have  no  wars  but  its 
own,  and  those  defensive."* 

These  remarks  are  interesting  as  bearing  upon  a  depart 
ment  of  the  Navy  with  which  Lieutenant  Foote,  in  the  course 
of  his  active  life,  came  to  be  closely  identified.  He  did  an 
important  work  in  organizing  and  building  up  these  infant 
establishments  and  naval  schools,  which  —  the  distinguished 
senator  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding — are  essential  to  the 
existence  of  a  strong  naval  power.  It  is  true  we  shall  never 
need  again  a  great  Navy  to  protect  our  territory.  The  inven 
tion  of  iron-clads,  the  facility  of  sea-coast  fortifications,  the 
telegraph,  the  vast  extension  of  the  railroad  system,  make  us, 
so  long  as  no  internal  dissensions  prey  upon  and  weaken  us, 
impregnable  without  a  great  Navy,  which,  if  not  needed,  is  a 
source  of  expense  and  foreign  menace.  But  what  would  we 
have  done  at  the  breaking  out  of  the  last  war  without  some 
military  and  naval  organization,  and  some  actual  material  of 
preparation?  To  say  nothing  also  of  our  extended  com 
mercial  interests,  the  fact  that  there  are  such  great  numbers 
of  Americans  residing  in  Europe  and  all  parts  of  the  world, 
makes  a  naval  home  establishment — with  its  boards,  bureaus, 
and  schools — a  necessity. 

It  is  doubtless  true  that  there  will  be  no  more  sea-actions 
like  those  off  Brest  and  Trafalgar,  wThere  nation  met  nation  in 
conflict. 

The  necessity  of  maintaining  large  squadrons,  and  building 
costly  ships  only  to  go  to  ruin,  when  the  whole  system  of  war 
fare  and  of  naval  architecture  is  undergoing  such  continual 

*  Benton's  "  Thirty  Years  in  the  U.  S.  Senate,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  57. 


56  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

changes,  has,  with  us  at  least,  ceased.  Still  there  must  be  a 
peace  establishment  as  a  nucleus  for  naval  operations ;  and  the 
good  order,  high  discipline,  and  moral  tone  of  our  naval  schools, 
asylums,  and  ship-yards  at  this  moment  are  due  as  much  to 
the  efforts  and  character  of  Admiral  Foote  as  to  any  other 
man. 

At  the  Philadelphia  Asylum,  during  a  period  of  considera 
ble  excitement  owing  to  certain  local  controversies  and  unset 
tled  questions  in  relation  to  organization  and  government,  he 
began  that  course  of  thorough  moral  reform  which  he  carried 
through  his  whole  career.  By  dint  of  unceasing  persuasion, 
he  prevailed  upon  the  pensioners  of  the  asylum  to  take  the 
temperance  pledge,  or,  as  an  "  old  salt "  would  say,  "  stop  their 
grog."  He  was  one  of  the  first  to  introduce  the  reform  of 
total  abstinence  from  intoxicating  drinks  into  the  Navy;  and 
it  was  well  understood  that  he  was  in  thorough  earnest  in  this 
matter,  so  that  officers  and  men  who  were  devoted  to  the  use 
of  liquor  fairly  understood  that 'it  would  go  hard  with  them  if 
Foote  was  on  judgment  in  cases  of  delinquency.  Whether  he 
sometimes  carried  this  too  far  or  not,  all  knew  where  he  stood, 
and  all  were  aware  of  the  inflexible  resolution  he  had  taken  to 
introduce  the  -temperance  reform  into  the  Navy,  in  which  de 
termination  he  was  successful.  The  Naval  Asylum,  in  fact, 
made  him  a  thorough  temperance  man.  He  said  once  in  Phila 
delphia  to  his  brother  John:  "I  made  up  my  mind  that  rs  a 
naval  officer  I  could  not  be  a  temperance  man.  I  met  witn 
persons  of  all  nations.  I  was  obliged  to  conform  to  their 
customs.  But  when  I  came  here  I  found  these  old  sailors 
dreadful  drunkards.  "Whenever  I  gave  them  any  privilege, 
they  invariably  got  drunk.  I  could  do  nothing  with  them.  At 
last  I  signed  the  pledge  myself,  and  then  they  followed  me." 
In  a  certain  petition  of  the  pensioners  of  the  Naval  Academy 
to  the  Honorable  Secretary  of  the  Navy — a  characteristic 
sailors'  document — Lieutenant  Foote  is  thus  spoken  of : 


Second  Marriage.  57 


"  The  gallant  Commodore  Biddle  was  our  first  governor.  A  brave  man 
like  him  knew  what  old  sailors  wanted.  He  indulged  the  good  men,  and 
brought  the  bad  men  into  good  order ;  and  when  he  left  us,  we  all  to  a 
man  wished  he  had  been  left  alone.  The  proper  rooms  were  allotted  by 
him  to  us,  and  the  officers  treated  us  like  men.  When  he  went  away, 
Commodore  Barron  came,  who  commanded  us  as  an  old  commodore 
ought  to  command  old  seamen  like  himself.  He  was  ready  to  listen  to 
us  and  to  see  our  wants  supplied,  and  may  God  bless  him,  and  Biddle 
too,  for  both  were  old  sailors'  friends,  which  we  put  into  the  newspapers 
which  you  have  read.  When  Commodore  Barron  left  us,  lie  left  Lieu 
tenant  Foote  to  command.  He  has  done  us  a  great  deal  of  good  in  mak 
ing  us  all  sober  men.  We  once  thought  that  old  sailors  could  not  do 
without  grog.  Now  there  is  not  a  man  in  the  house  who  draws  his  grog, 
and  we  feel  like  human  beings,  and  hate  the  sin  of  getting  drunk.  We 
now  understand  the  Word  of  God  as  it  is  written  in  the  Bible,  with  which 
we  are  supplied,  and  hope  our  latter  days  will  be  better  than  our  former 
lives  have  been.  As  old  men,  we  wanted  and  have  had  quiet  and  peace 
of  mind  and  body." 

In  all  matters  of  strictly  professional  education  and  culture, 
the  principles  of  navigation,  practical  seamanship,  gunnery, 
naval  tactics,  and  ship-building,  he  was,  by  the  testimony  of 
his  contemporaries,  for  his  time,  a  thorough  master,  leaving 
nothing  to  subordinates  that  he  could  do  himself. 

In  the  year  1842  (Jan.  27)  Lieutenant  Foote  married  for 
his  second  wife  Caroline  Augusta  (his  second  cousin),  the  eld 
est  daughter  of  Augustus  Russel  Street,  of  New  Haven,  a 
gentleman  of  wealth  and  high  cultivation,  now  well-known  as 
the  generous  founder  of  the  art-school  in  Yale  College.* 

*  Mrs.  Caroline  Augusta  Foote  died  in  New  Haven,  August  27, 1863, 
just  two  months  after  the  death  of  her  husband.  She  bore  to  him  five 
children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  of  whom  two,  Augustus  Russel 
Street  and  John  Samuel,  survive  their  parents.  Under  the  careful  and 
scholarly  training  of  her  father,  Miss  Street's  fine  mind  and  lovely  char 
acter  were  developed  into  a  rare  and  beautiful  womanhood,  fitting  her 
to  become  the  true  wife  and  counselor  of  a  heroic  man.  She  shared 
patiently  his  labors  and  sorrows,  and  rejoiced  in  his  triumphs  with  a 
calm  joy  that  intelligently  appreciated  their  greatness,  but  was  attem 
pered  by  a  higher  hope. 


58  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

But  he  enjoyed  for  a  short  time  only  the  sweets  of  domestic 
repose  on  shore.  His  whole  life  was  destined  to  be  one  of 
constant  hard  service  in  his  profession. 

In  the  summer  of  1843  (Aug.  26)  he  was  ordered,  as  first-lieu 
tenant,  to  the  flag-ship  Cumberland,  fifty  guns,  under  Captain 
Breese.  J.  A.  Dahlgren  and  others  who  have  since  won  for 
themselves  distinction  were  lieutenants  and  fellow-officers  with 
Foote  in  this  cruise  of  the  Cumberland.  This  vessel  bore  at 
her  peak  the  pennant  of  Commodore  Joseph  Smith,  who  on 
his  return  from  this  cruise  was  made  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of 
Yards  and  Docks  at  Washington,  and  who,  with  Captain  Breese, 
bore  a  distinguished  part  in  the  last  war  with  Great  Britain,  es 
pecially  in  the  battle  of  Lake  Champlain.  Commodore  Smith 
proved  to  be  Foote's  life-long  and  perhaps  his  most  loved  and 
trusted  friend,  and  is  himself  a  genial  and  noble-hearted  Chris 
tian  man.  Commodore  Smith  soon  appreciated  Foote's  work 
ing  qualities,  and  in  one  of  his  earliest  letters  he  says:  "Would 
you  be  willing  to  go  to  Norfolk  if  I  should  go  there  ?  as  that 
is  a  place  of  work,  and  requires  energetic  officers."  He  told 
Foote  that  he  wished  him  to  be  always  associated  with  him 
self,  and  he  regarded  him  "  as  his  mainmast" 

The  Cumberland  sailed  from  Boston  for  the  Mediterranean 
on  the  20th  of  November,  1843.  When  taking  the  stores  on 
board  for  the  voyage,  some  of  the*  men  got  an  opportunity  to 
tap  a  barrel  of  whisky,  and  made  themselves  drunk.  Trou 
ble  ensued:  some  of  them  insulted  and  attacked  one  of  the 
officers,  and  were  consequently  flogged.  Foote  took  the  op 
portunity  to  form  a  temperance  society,  beginning  with  the 
officers,  and  being  sustained  and  encouraged  by  the  commo 
dore.  The  movement  became  popular,  and  soon  all  the  sail 
ors  but  one  consented  to  commute  their  grog-rations  for  money; 
and  that  solitary  one,  coming  up  every  day  to  receive  his  grog, 
became  a  laughing-stock,  and  was  soon  got  rid  of. 

The  spirit-room  was  emptied  of  its  contents,  and  the  whole 


Temperance  Reform  on  the  "  Cumberland''      59 

crew,  with  the  exception  of  the  one  veteran  toper,  joined  the 
movement,  so  that  the  Cumberland  became  the  first  temper 
ance  ship  in  the  United  States  Navy ;  and  how  interesting  is 
this,  when  we  think  of  the  future  fate  of  this  vessel,  selected 
to  be  the  martyr  ship  of  our  civil  war.;  when,  in  the  terri 
ble  fight  with  the  iron-clad  and  iron-beaked  Merrimack,  with 
her  flag  flying  and  her  crew  cheering,  she  delivered  her  last 
fire  at  her  country's  foes,  and  went  down  unconquered  and 
unsullied  in  her  pure  renown. 

The  effects  of  the  temperance  reform  on  the  Cumberland 
were  vMble  in  the  excellent  discipline  of  the  ship,  showing 
that  the  moral  element  is  the  basis  of  the  highest  and  most 
efficient  military  discipline.  Lieutenant  Foote  delivered  a  part 
ing  temperance  address  before  the  crew  of  the  Cumberland, 
November  1, 1845,  from  which  the  following  are  extracts : 

"  To  illustrate  the  correctness  of  the  position  which  I  have  taken,  let 
us  look  at  the  changes  within  the  last  few  years.  See  how  the  tem 
perance  movement  has  changed  the  aspect  of  things.  Look  around, 
and  we  see  ourselves  in  a  ship  where  that  great  enemy  of  man — the 
enemy  to  his  hopes  and  happiness — ardent  spirits,  is  abolished.  Who 
would  have  believed  a  man,  thirty  years  ago,  had  he  predicted  that  a 
ship,  a  frigate — a  flag-ship,  too,  of  the  squadron — would  cruise  a  year 
without  the  grog-tub  ?  But  it  has  been  done,  and  I  have  strong  hopes  that 
in  thirty  years  hence  every  man-of-war  will  cruise  without  a  grog-tub,  and 
that  liberty  in  almost  every  port,  and  money  every  month,  as  has  been 
the  case  in  this  ship,  with  many  other  changes,  will  also  take  place, 
rendering  life  in  a  man-of-wTar  comparatively  respectable  and  happy. 
But  the  credit  of  taking  the  lead  in  this  reform,  this  matter  which  will 
prove  so  great  a  blessing  to  so  many  generations  of  seamen,  will  ever  be 
long  to  the  Cumberland— -to  the  crew  of  the  Cumberland.  They  did  it ; 
they  also  sent  a  petition  to  Congress  to  abolish  the  whisky-ration — did 
it  voluntarily,  of  their  own  accord — no  coercion,  no  force  was  used.  The 
subject  was  placed  before  thenl — they  chose,  they  acted  for  themselves ; 
and  by  it  have  not  only  astonished  people  abroad,  but  the  papers  at 
home  are  resounding  with  their  praise,  and  the  good  effects  of  their 
choice  have  been  witnessed  in  the  good  order  and  condition  of  the  ship : 


60  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

in  her  snugness  aloft  and  cleanliness  below ;  in  her  rapid  exercise  of  bat 
tery,  and  no  less  rapid  evolutions  of  getting  under  way,  furling  sails,  and, 
I  may  now  add.  of  beating  every  thing  which  we  have  met.  Of  such  a 
ship  we  may  well  be  proud,  and  no  doubt  we  shall  all,  long  after  the 
cruise,  recur  to  the  Cumberland  with  the  most  pleasurable  feelings.  *  *  * 
"  I  say  that  temperance  has  done  good,  and  I  believe  its  good  effects 
will  long  be  felt  by  many  poor  deserted  mothers,  who  for  ten  and 
fifteen  years  have  not  been  visited  by  their  sons,  but  who  will  in  a 
few  months  share  the  gatherings  of  a  two  years'  cruise.  Will  they 
not  thank  God  for  the  temperance  movement  in  the  Cumberland  ?  Yes ; 
and  I  trust  that  in  eternity,  as  well  as  in  time,  many  of  you  will  bless 
the  Lord  for  sending  you  on  board  this  ship.  But  now  is  the  crisis — 
now  is  the  time  to  make  a  stand.  Now  the  time  has  come  to  decide 
the  great  question,  whether  seamen  shall  become  a  rational,  long-lived, 
and  respectable  class  of  men,  or  whether  they  shall  continue  to  be 
imposed  upon  by  land-sharks,  and  madly  rush  into  the  grave  in  the 
middle  age  of  life.  I  speak  strongly,  because  I  feel  strongly  on  this  sub 
ject  ;  and  here,  at  the  termination  of  the  cruise,  still  feeling  a  deep  inter 
est  in  the  crew  of  this  ship  for  their  general  behavior  and  efficiency,  and 
hoping  at  some  future  day  to  sail  with  many  of  them,  I  conclude  by 
saying,  as  a  true  friend,  neither  touch,  taste,  nor  handle  any  thing  that 
can  intoxicate.  I  have  practiced  and  will  practice  myself  these  doctrines 
which  I  advocate,  and  so  let  every  man  now  determine  for  himself,  or  he 
is  in  danger  of  rushing,  with  his  eyes  open,  upon  the  dreadful  alternative 
— a  drunkard's  grave  and  the  drunkard's  endless  doom ;  which  may  God 
avert  from  us.  Farewell !" 

Returning  from  this  cruise  of  the  Cumberland  to  Boston, 
November  10,  1845,  after  a  leave  of  absence  for  six  months, 
suffering  as  he  was  from  ophthalmia,  contracted  while  acting 
as  captain  of  the  boating-service  of  the  Cumberland  in  Egypt 
and  on  the  dazzling  waters  of  the  Mediterranean,  he  was  order 
ed  (June  1,  1846)  to  the  Navy  Yard  at  Boston,  where  he  re 
mained  in  comparative  quiet,  though  strenuous  as  ever  in  the 
line  of  professional  duty,  as  executive  officer  of  that  establish 
ment,  until  June  1, 1848. 

A  few  extracts  from  the  familiar  letters  of  Commodore 
Joseph  Smith,  at  Washington,  to  Lieutenant  Foote,  while  the 


Abolishing  the  Spirit -Ration.  61 

latter  was  in  charge  of  the  Boston  Yard,  relative  chiefly  to  pro 
fessional  matters,  and  especially  to  the  subject  of  naval  re 
form,  in  which  both  were  engaged  heart  and  soul,  will  prove 
interesting  as  reflecting  some  of  the  marked  personal  charac 
teristics  of  his  correspondent.  One  of  Foote's  own  letters  on 
the  subject  of  the  "  spirit-ration  "  to  a  Connecticut  senator  we 

insert  among  these : 

"  January  30,  1846. 

"  I  conversed  with  many  persons  on  the  feasibility  of  carrying  through 
Congress  our  project  of  abolishing  the  spirit-ration.  I  do  not  believe  the 
committees  in  both  houses  would  report  in  its  favor ;  and  if  they  should,  I 
do  not  believe  this  Congress  will  ratify  the  measure.  There  is  a  strong 
opposition  to  it,  and  a  good  many  wires  would  be  pulled  to  check  it.  I 
heard  by  Dahlgren  that  your  eyes  continued  bad.  The  Cumberland  sailed 
yesterday  for  Mexico." 

"February  20,  1846. 

"You  have  done  a  good  thing  for  the  service  by  'putting  in  your  oar' 
to  keep  all  the  bureaus  in  the  Navy.  You  are  not  alone  in  this  work ;  still 
I  learn  from  reliable  sources  that  your  townsman  (Gideon  Welles)  will  be 
confirmed.  It  is  strange  that  the  Navy  can  not  furnish  a  head  to  a  bureau 
capable  of  knowing  what  seamen  want  and  how  to  furnish  the  stores.  I 
trust  your  eyes  will  soon  be  well.  I  see  by  the  prints  that  the  crew  of  the 
Boston  broke  into  her  spirit-room  and  got  drunk,  and  caused  much  trouble. 
That  would  be  a  good  spoke  in  our  wheel  of  reform,  and  a  good  com 
mentary  upon  the  effect  of  whisky  in  the  Navy.  The  Cumberland  lay 
fourteen  days  in  the  dry-dock,  and  no  such  conduct  was  enacted  there. 
I  have  talked  with  Mr.  Choate  about  the  matter.  He  told  me  Mr.  Cal- 
houn  voted  against  the  reform,  and  that  he  could  not  carry  it.  We  have 
some  officers  high  in  rank  who  will  oppose  it ;  nevertheless,  I  think  it  will 
come  round  by-and-by." 

"February  22,  1847. 

"  I  fear  the  six  cents'  commutation  is  in  danger  in  the  House  of  Repre 
sentatives.  The  bill  has  been  returned  with  amendments,  and  I  fear  the 
six  cents  will  be  attacked,  as  I  know  a  good  many  who  think  much  of  the 
difference  between  the  cost  of  whisky  made  from  potatoes  and  money ; 
and  Mr.  Welles  has  asked  and  received  the  assent  of  the  Senate  for  an  ap 
propriation  of  $200,000  to  pay  this  commutation,  and  that  is  what  will 
endanger  the  bill  in  the  House.  God  knows  when  the  war  (with  Mexico) 


62  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

will  end.     I  see  no  prospect  at  present.    After  Vera  Cruz  and  the  Castle 
have  surrendered,  the  chances  for  peace  will  be  better." 

"  NAVY  YARD,  BOSTON,  June  15, 1847. 

"  DEAR  SIR, — Agreeably  to  the  request  contained  in  your  letter  of  the 
24th  ultimo,  I  submit  the  following  reasons,  as  among  the  most  promi 
nent,  why  whisky  should  be  stricken  from  the  Navy  ration-table : 

"  In  the  mercantile  marine  generally  the  spirit-ration  has  been  abolished, 
and  its  effect  upon  the  morale  and  efficiency  of  that  service  has  exceeded 
the  expectations  of  the  most  sanguine.  Similar  effects  were  so  manifest 
in  the  case  of  the  United  States  frigate  Cumberland,  bearing  the  flag  of 
Commodore  Joseph  Smith,  now  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Yards  and  Docks, 
that  all  the  commissioned  officers,  although  at  the  outset  of  the  cruise  re 
garding  the  idea  of  abolishing  the  whisky-ration  as  wholly  impractica 
ble,  with  two  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  crew,  subsequently  sent  a  petition 
to  Congress,  praying  its  abolishment.  Lieutenant-Commandant  Charles 
H.  Davis,  of  the  United  States  surveying  schooner  Gallatin,  and  formerly 
in  command  of  the  Nautilus,  has  not  for  several  years  served  out  to  his 
crew  the  daily  allowance  of  whisky.  One  of  his  lieutenants  informs  me 
that  now  they  can  send  their  men  on  shore  without  apprehension  of 
drunkenness  and  desertion,  which  were  rife  previously  to  adopting  this 
measure.  I  inclose  herewith  a  letter  from  Lieutenant-Commandant  Davis, 
giving  his  views  and  mode  of  proceeding  more  in  detail  in  relation  to 
this  matter.  Commander  John  Pope,  of  the  United  States  brig  Dolphin, 
now  cruising  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  in  a  letter  to  a  friend,  just  received, 
says :  '  I  hope  most  truly  to  see  the  day  when  the  spirit-ration  will  be 
done  away.  We  can  do  as  well  without  liquor  as  the  men  in  the  merchant 
service.'  Commander  John  C.  Long,  United  States  Navy,  says :  'It  is 
practicable,  it  is  expedient  to  abolish  the  whisky-ration,  and  it  ought  to 
be  done  forthwith.  I  tested  this  matter  to  my  entire  satisfaction  when  in 
command  of  the  schooner  Dolphin?  I  am  aware,  notwithstanding  this 
testimony,  that  there  are  quite  a  number  of  officers  in  the  Navy  opposed 
to  its  abolishment,  and  so  were  the  officers  of  the  Cumberland,  and  also 
of  the  mercantile  marine,  until  the  experiment  was  fairly  tested,  when 
the  sentiment  changed  entirely. 

"  These  facts  seem  to  show  conclusively  that  the  abolishment  of  the 
whisky-ration  would  materially  advance  the  moral  tone  of  seamen  and 
the  efficiency  of  the  service,  but  the  proposed  measure  has  met  with  ob 
jections,  the  most  prominent  of  which  is  that  it  would  be  coercive ;  on 


Naval  Reform  in  Congress.  63 

the  other  hand,  I  would  ask  in  the  premises,  Is  not  serving  it  out  a  posi 
tive  encouragement  to  drunkenness  ?  I  have  never  been  able  myself  to 
see  the  force  of  this  objection — coercion.  It  simply  takes  away  a  portion 
of  the  ration  and  gives  a  full  equivalent,  which  will  be  far  more  satis 
factory  to  the  men  in  service  generally.  It  does  not  forbid  the  sailor's 
drinking.  It  merely  ceases  to  parade  by  authority  the  grog-tub  daily  be 
fore  his  eyes :  placing  its  contents  in  the  same  table  with  beef,  pork,  and 
other  parts  of  the  ration  necessary  to  sustain  his  physical  being — a  sly  in 
centive  to  his  becoming  a  drunkard.  The  officer  when  he  draws  his 
ration  is  not  permitted  to  receive  his  whisky ;  the  minor  is  also  debarred 
this  portion  of  his  ration.  Why  not,  then,  extend  the  prohibition  to  the 
remainder  of  the  crew,  especially  as  it  has  led  them  to  advocate  its  abol 
ishment  who  previously  to  sailing  without  it  regarded  its  continuance 
essential  ? 

"  I  can  not  regard  the  commutation  at  even  $  1  80  per  month,  leaving 
it  optional  with  the  crew,  as  calculated  to  have  the  desired  effect.  This 
would  leave  it  still  an  open,  unsettled,  exciting  question,  enabling  a  few 
old  seamen,  most  of  them  foreigners,  to  influence  many  of  the  younger  and 
inexperienced  men  to  use  this  portion  of  their  ration  against  their  better 
judgment.  In  this  case,  also,  the  expense  to  the  government,  and  incon 
venience  to  the  ship  of  filling  the  spirit-room  without  knowing  what  por 
tion  would  be  required,  is  another  objection.  On  the  other  hand,  strike 
the  whisky  unqualifiedly  from  the  ration  -  table ;  pay  the  men  $1  per 
month  in  lieu  thereof,  and  it  will  prove  acceptable  to  the  men,  econom 
ical  to  the  government,  and  in  all  respects  beneficial  to  the  service. 
"  Respectfully  your  obedient  servant, 

"  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Lieutenant  U.  S.  Navy. 

"  Hon.  Geo.  P.  Rockwell." 

To  continue  the  extracts  from  Commodore  Smith's  letters: 

"  August  20, 1847. 

"  I  have  yours  of  the  18th  inst.;  am  glad  to  hear  you  are  getting  on 
so  well  at  your  station,  and  particularly  of  your  successful  progress  with 
your  improved  propeller.  You  will  have  a  host  of  competitors  from  the 
engineers,  I  fear;  but  if  the  improvement  is  valuable,  it  will  put  down  op 
position.  I  fear  you  have  not  calculated  the  effect  of  the  centrifugal 
force,  or  rather  the  spiral  force  of  the  water  after  leaving  the  propeller 
and  coming  in  opposing  contact  with  the  vessel.  However,  experiment 
is  the  only  proper  test  in  such  matters." 

E 


64  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

"December  29, 1847. 

' "  From  Tattnall  I  received  your  model  of  a  scull — not  skull.  You  are 
right  about  the  Indian  paddles.  The  shape  of  these  paddles,  or  floats, 
or  sculls,  should  be  of  the  same  shape  as  Indian  paddles,  instead  of  being 
circular.  But  you  are  behind  the  times,  my  friend,  in  this,  for  in  En 
gland  this  kind  of  paddle  has  been  in  use,  or  rather  experimented  upon, 
for  five  years,  on  each  quarter  instead  of  the  bow,  as  yours  is  intended. 

"  Dahlgren  is  at  home  on  a  visit.  He  is  in  tall  grass  now ;  has  full 
swing,  and  will  make  for  himself  an  enviable  reputation.  He  has  won 
golden  opinions  from  the  whole  eighty-five  middies  at  the  school  for 
the  manner  and  course  of  his  instructions." 

"April  13, 1848. 

"  I  trust  you  will  have  full  credit  for  all  your  exertions  in  bringing  and 
keeping  the  Yard  in  good  order  and  wholesome  discipline,  and  much  is 
due  to  you  for  the  excellent  state  it  is  in,  as  all  say.  You  must  be  a  com 
modore,  at  least,  before  the  retired  list  brings  you  up." 

"April  25, 1848. 

"  Your  organization  of  the  fire  department  is  excellent,  as  almost  every 
thing  you  do  is.  The  only  fault,  or  rather  imperfection  in  the  system,  is 
your  too  great  zeal.  When  I  see  you  with  a  project  in  hand  to  develop 
its  usefulness,  I  think  of  the  Nack  stain,  and  call  to  mind,  or  rather  it 
comes  instinctively,  what  the  pastor  of  the  parish  where  I  was  reared 
used  to  say — '  What  is  violent  can  not  be  lasting.'  "* 

"August  31, 1848. 

"  Go  on  in  your  course  of  talking  and  writing  in  the  cause  of  temper 
ance  and  all  good  things.  While  doing  those  good  deeds,  God  will 
bless  the  means  to  restore  your  eyes  to  perfect  health.  Dahlgren  is  pro- 

*  This  reference  to  "  the  black  stain,"  which  occurs  in  many  of  Admi 
ral  Smith's  letters,  is  thus  explained  by  him :  "  The  story  of  the  '  black 
stain'  originated  in  the  Cumberland,  by  Foote's  (who  was  executive  offi 
cer)  scraping  the  paint  off  the  gun-carriages  to  the  bare  oak  wood,  and 
applying  a  black  dye  or  stain.  This  caused  many  quaint  remarks  from 
officers  and  sailors,  as  it  did  not  at  first  promise  success.  Characteristic 
of  the  man,  whose  will  was  indomitable,  Foote  persisted  in  his  experi 
ment,  and  by  oiling  and  frequently  rubbing,  a  beautiful  black  polish  was 
produced,  which,  after  all  the  jokes  which  had  been  employed  to  damp 
en  .the  inventor's  ardor,  was  much  admired  ;  hence  the  frequent  quota 
tion  afterward,  '  Like  Foote's  black  stain,'  when  a  doubtful  experiment 
was  in  question." 


Improved  Propeller.  65 

gressing  finely,  and  will  give  the  Navy  some  interesting  results  in  ord 
nance." 


"I  trust  your  Dr.  Elliott  will  effect  a  perfect  cure,  and  that  your 
eyes,  which  were  always  bright  and  sharp,  will  not  be  less  effective  and 
useful  to  you  than  any  other  of  your  faculties.  The  political  horizon 
looks  as  if  the  wind  would  change  and  haul  around  in  favor  of  old 
•  Rough  and  Ready.'  He  heads  up  for  the  White  House,  and  if  no  un 
favorable  flaw  strike,  he  will  fetch  the  mark." 

11  June  25,  1849. 

"  I  trust  the  chastisement  will  be  a  lesson  to  you  not  to  carry  things  to 
excess,  as  you,  in  your  zeal  to  do  good  and  work  righteousness,  are,  or 
have  been,  prone  to  do.  I  may  speak  plainly  now  that  you  are  on  your 
pins  again,  and  say  I  fear  you  have  been  a  victim  to  your  '  water  cure.' 
Bless  God  for  his  unbounded  mercies.  You  have  a  new  lease  of  life,  and 
have  much  more  to  see  of  this  wicked  world  than  you  have  seen,  and 
more  good  to  do  than  you  have  done." 

.  In  regard  to  the  invention  of  the  bow-propeller,  to  which 
reference  is  made  in  these  extracts,  there  was  a  correspond 
ence  on  the  subject  in  the  years  1846  and  1847,  between  Lieu 
tenant  Foote  and  Commodore  Morris,  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of 
Construction,  which  correspondence  is  recorded  in  the  minute- 
book  of  the  bureau,  but  does  not  seem  to  have  led  to  an  adop 
tion  of  Foote's  invention.  As  explained  by  the  inventor,  the 
object  of  placing  the  propeller  in  the  bow  is  to  produce  by 
its  motion  a  partial  vacuum  or  eddy,  throwing  the  water 
aside  that  would  otherwise  rise  in  front  and  around,  and  offer 
resistance  to  the  bow  of  the  vessel  in  proportion  to  the  vessel's 
velocity  ;  which  theory,  he  maintained,  was  fully  sustained  by 
actual  experiment,  and  one  fourth,  or  at  least  a  fifth  more 
velocity  was  secured  by  the  bow-propeller  over  the  stern-pro 
peller  ;  as  in  the  first  the  water  which  offers  such  resistance  to 
the  bow  is  thrown  aside  or  broken  up,  while  the  stern-propel 
ler  takes  the  water  from  the  stern,  where  it  is  needed  to  buoy 
the  vessel,  and  causes  her  to  go,  as  it  were,  upon  an  inclined 
plane. 


CHAPTER  VL 

CRUISE   OF   THE   "  PERRY5'    ON   THE   AFRICAN   COAST. 

ON  September  28,  1849,  Lieutenant  Foote  was  assigned  to 
the  command  of  the  brig  Perry,  and  ordered  to  the  coast  of 
Africa,  for  the  protection  of  American  commerce  and  the  sup 
pression  of  the  slave-trade.  The  squadron  to  which  the  Perry 
belonged  was  under  the  command  of  Commodore  Gregory, 
whose  flag-ship  was  the  John  Adams,  and  with  whom,  it  will 
be  remembered,  he  made  his  first  voyage  as  a  midshipman  in 
1823. 

As  this  was  one  of  the  notable  periods  of  his  life,  and  had 
decisive  results  upon  the  infamous  slave-trade,  it  should  be 
treated  deliberately;  and  for  this  purpose  free  use  will  be 
made  of  Lieutenant  Foote's  own  papers,  log-book,  private  jour 
nal,  and  especially  of  his  work  entitled  "Africa  and  the 
American  Flag." 

A  good  idea  of  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  cruising-ground 
of  the  Perry  is  given  in  the  following  extract  from  Admiral 
Foote's  book,  and  this  will  also  serve  as  a  sample  of  the  style 
and  character  of  that  work : 

"  If  a  chart  of  the  Atlantic  is  spread  out,  and  a  line  drawn  from  the 
Cape  Verde  Islands  toward  the  southeastern  coast  of  Brazil ;  if  we  then 
pass  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  draw  another  from  that  point  by 
the  Island  of  St.  Helena,  crossing  the  former  north  of  the  equator,  the 
great  tracks  of  commerce  will  be  traced.  Vessels  outward  bound  follow 
the  track  toward  the  South  American  shore,  and  the  homeward  bound 
are  found  on  the  other.  The  vessels  often  meet  in  the  centre  of  the  At 
lantic  ;  and  the  crossing  of  these  lines  off  the  projecting  shores  of  Central 
Africa  renders  the  coasts  of  that  region  of  great  naval  importance. 

"  The  wide  triangular  space  of  sea  between  the  homeward-bound  line 


Cruising-Ground  of  the  "Perry?  67 

and  the  retiring  African  sea-board  around  the  Gulf  of  Guinea  constitu 
ted  the  area  on  which  the  vigilance  of  the  squadron  was  to  be  exercised. 
Here  is  the  region  of  crime,  suffering,  cruelty,  and  death  from  the  slave- 
trade  ;  and  here  has  been  at  different  ages,  when  the  police  of  the  sea 
happened  to  be  little  cared  for,  the  scene  of  the  worst  piracies  which 
have  ever  disgraced  human  nature. 

"  Vessels  running  out  from  the  African  coast  fall  here  and  there  into 
these  lines  traced  on  the  chart,  or  sometimes  across  them.  No  one  can 
tell  what  they  contain  from  the  graceful  hull,  well-proportioned  masts, 
neatly  trimmed  yards,  and  the  gallant  bearing  of  the  vessel.  This  deceit 
ful  beauty  may  conceal  wrong,  violence,  and  crime — the  theft  of  living 
men,  the  foulness  and  corruption  of  the  steaming  slave-deck,  and  the 
charnel-house  of  wretchedness  and  despair. 

"  It  is  difficult  in  looking  over  the  ship's  side  to  conceive  the  trans 
parency  of  the  sea.  The  reflection  of  the  blue  sky  in  these  tropic  re 
gions  colors  it  like  an  opaque  sapphire,  till  some  fish  startles  one  by  sud 
denly  appearing  far  beneath,  seeming  to  carry  daylight  down  with  him 
into  the  depths  below.  One  is  then  reminded  that  the  vessel  is  suspend 
ed  over  a  transparent  abyss.  There  for  ages  has  sunk  the  dark-skinned 
sufferer  from  '  the  horrors  of  the  middle  passage,'  carrying  that  ghastly 
daylight  down  with  him,  to  rest  until  '  the  sea  shall  give  up  its  dead,1 
and  the  slaver  and  his  merchant  come  up  from  their  places  to  be  con 
fronted  with  their  victim."* 

The  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries  were  the  era  of 
the  greatest  woe  in  the  slave-trade.  Then  it  became  cruelly 
and  murderously  systematic.  The  question  what  nation  should 
be  most  enriched  by  the  abominable  traffic  was  a  subject  of 
diplomacy.  England  secured  the  greatest  share  of  the  crimi 
nality  and  of  the  profit,  by  gaining  from  her  other  competitors 
the  right  by  contract  to  supply  the  colonies  of  Spain  with  ne 
groes.  But  our  own  country  entered  largely  into  this  business, 
and  in  later  times  chiefly  by  means  of  small  and  ill-found 
vessels,  which,  as  they  were  watched  by  the  cruisers,  were 
crowded  and  packed  with  negroes,  at  any  risk  of  loss  by  death, 

*  "Africa  and  the  American  Flag,"  p.  14-16.  The  ending  of  this  pas 
sage  calls  to  mind  Ruskin's  powerful  description  of  Turner's  still  more 
powerful  picture  of  the  "  Slave-ship,"  in  his  "Modern  Painters. 


68  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

so  that  a  successful  voyage  might  compensate  for  many  cap 
tures.  In  olden  times  there  were  vessels  fitted  expressly  for 
the  purpose — large  Indiamen  or  whalers.  Lieutenant  Foote 
says : 

"  If  ever  there  were  any  thing  on  earth  which,  for  revolting,  filthy,  heart 
less  atrocity,  might  make  the  devil  wonder  and  hell  recognize  its  own 
likeness,  it  was  on  one  of  the  decks  of  an  old  slaver.  The  sordid  cupid 
ity  of  the  older,  as  it  is  meaner,  was  also  more  callous  than  the  hurried 
ruffianism  of  the  present  age.  In  fact,  a  slaver  now  has  but  one  deck ; 
in  the  last  century  they  had  two  or  three.  Any  one  of  the  decks  of  the 
larger  vessels  was  rather  worse,  if  it  could  be,  than  the  single  deck  of 
the  brigs  and  schooners  now  employed  in  the  trade.  Then  the  number 
of  decks  rendered  the  suffocating  and  pestilential  hold  a  scene  of  un 
paralleled  wretchedness."* 

In  bad  weather,  when  the  hatches  were  closed,  the  death  of 
numbers  from  suffocation  would  necessarily  occur,  and  in  the 
efforts  of  the  more  athletic  to  get  at  the  air,  the  weaker  would 
be  strangled.  The  height  between  decks  was  so  small  that  a 
man  of  ordinary  size  could  hardly  sit  upright.  The  slaves 
were  obliged  to  lie  on  their  backs,  and  were  shackled  by  their 
ankles,  the  left  of  one  being  fettered  to  the  right  of  the  next, 
so  that  the  whole  number,  in  one  line,  formed  a  single  living 
chain.  When  one  died,  the  body  remained — during  the  night, 
or  in  stormy  weather  for  a  longer  time,  and  until  it  was  in  a 
putrid  state — secured  to  two  living  bodies. 

We  are  not,  however,  to  suppose  that  the  horrors  of  "  the 
middle  passage  "  were  essentially  diminished  in  modern  times ; 
and  the  diabolical  atrocity  of  those  who,  in  the  middle  of  this 
century,  dealt  in  "  ebony  " — some  of  them  New  England  cap 
tains,  from  homes  where  the  religion  of  Christ  wras  taught 
—was  increased  tenfold  by  the  light  of  humanity  diffused 
abroad.  Here  was  the  fountain-head  of  the  slave-supply  in  the 
Southern  States ;  and  it  is  a  cause  of  gratitude  that  our  hero 

*  "  Africa  and  the  American  Flag,"  p.  27. 


The  West  African  Coast.  69 

was  enabled  to  do  some  serious  work  toward  the  permanent 
destruction  of  this  original  evil  before  lie  actually  came  to 
contend  with  the  slave-power  in  its  final  assault  upon  the  life 
of  the  government. 

In  Lieutenant  Foote's  -notices  of  Africa,  before  entering 
upon  the  detail  of  his  special  work,  there  is  much  that  shows 
an  observing  and  penetrative,  we  might  almost  say,  scientific 
mind ;  for  example,  he  thus  discourses  at  length  of  the  philos 
ophy  of  storms  on  the  West  African  coast : 

"  The  vast  radiator  formed  by  the  sun  beating  vertically  on  the  plains 
of  tropical  Africa,  heats  and  expands  the  air,  and  thus  constitutes  a  sort 
of  central  trough,  into  which  gravitation  brings  compensating  currents, 
by  producing  a  lateral  sliding  inward  of  the  great  trade-wind  streams. 
Thus,  as  a  general  rule,  winds  which  would  normally  diverge  from  the 
shores  are  drawn  in  toward  them.  They  have  been  gathering  moisture 
in  their  progress ;  and  when  pressed  upward,  as  they  expand  under  the 
vertical  sun,  lose  their  heat  in  the  upper  regions,  let  go  their  moisture, 
and  spread  over  the  interior  terraces  and  mountains  a  sheet  of  heavily 
depositing  cloud.  This  constitutes  the  rainy  season,  which  necessarily, 
from  the  causes  producing  it,  accompanies  the  sun  in  its  apparent  oscil 
lations  across  the  equator. 

"  The  Gulf  of  Guinea  has  in  its  own  bosom  a  system  of  hurricanes  and 
squalls,  of  which  little  is  known  but  their  existence  and  their  danger.  A, 
description  of  them,  of  rather  old  date,  specifies  as  a  fact  that  they  begin 
by  the  appearance  of  a  small  mass  of  clouds  in  the  zenith,  which  widens 
and  extends  till  the  canopy  covers  the  horizon.  Now  if  this  were  true 
of  any  given  spot,  it  would  indicate  that  the  hurricane  always  began 
there.  The  appearance  of  a  patch  of  cloud  in  the  zenith  could  be  true 
of  only  one  place  out  of  all  those  which  the  hurricane  influenced.  If  it 
is  meant  that  wherever  the  phenomenon  originated,  there  a  mass  of  cloud 
gradually  formed  in  the  zenith,  this  would  be  a  most  important  particu 
lar  in  regard  to  the  proximate  cause  of  the  phenomenon,  for  it  would 
mark  a  rapid  direction  upward  of  the  atmosphere  at  that  spot  as  the  first 
observable  incident  of  the  series.  That  the  movements  produced  would 
subsequently  become  whirling,  or  circumvolant,  is  a  mechanical  neces 
sity  ;  but  the  force  of  the  movement  ought  not  to  be  strongest  at  the 
place  where  the  movement  had  its  origin. 


70  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

"  The  squalls,  with  high  towering  clouds,  which  rise  like  a  wall  on  the 
horizon,  involve  the  same  principles  as  to  the  formation  of  the  vapor,  and 
are  easily  explicable.  They  are  not  necessarily  connected  with  circular 
hurricanes ;  but  the  principles  of  their  formation  may  modify  the  inten 
sity  of  the  blasts  in  a  circumvolant  tornado.  Since  in  the  Gulf  of  Guinea 
they  come  from  the  eastward,  it  is  to  be  inferred  that  they  are  ripples  or 
undulations  in  an  air  current.  In  regard  to  all  of  this,  it  is  necessary  to 
speak  doubtfully,  for  there  is  a  great  lack  of  accurate  and  detailed  obser 
vation  on  these  points. 

"Its  position  and  physical  characteristics  give  to  this  continent  great 
influence  over  the  rest  of  the  earth.  Africa,  America,  and  Australia  have 
nearly  similar  relations  to  the  great  oceans  interposed  respectively  between 
them.  Against  the  eastern  sides  of  these  regions  are  carried  from  the 
ocean  those  strange,  furious  whirlwinds  on  the  shallow  film  of  the  earth's 
atmosphere  which  constitute  hurricanes.  It  is  evident  that  these  oceans 
are  mainly  the  channels  in  which  the  surface  winds  move  which  are 
drawn  from  colder  regions  toward  the  equator.  The  shores  are  the  banks 
of  these  air  streams.  The  return  currents  above  flow  over  every  thing. 
They  are  thus  prevalent  in  the  interior,  so  that  the  climatic  conditions 
there  are  different  from  those  on  the  sea-board.  These  circumstances  in 
the  southern  extra-tropical  regions  are  accompanied  by  corresponding 
differences  in  the  character  of  the  vegetable  world. 

"  These  winds  are  sometimes  drawn  aside  across  the  coast-lines,  consti 
tuting  the  Mediterranean  sirocco  and  the  African  harmattan.  Vessels 
far  off  at  sea,  sailing  to  the  northward,  are  covered  or  stained  on  the 
weather-side  of  their  rigging  (that  next  to  the  African  coast)  with  a  fine, 
light-yellow  powder.  A  reddish-brown  dust  sometimes  tinges  the  sails 
and  rigging.  An  instance  of  this  occurred  on  board  the  Perry  on  her  out 
ward-bound  passage  when  five  hundred  miles  from  the  African  coast."* 

In  another  place  Lieutenant  Foote  happily  describes  the 
physical  conformation  of  the  African  sea-coast,  which  has  had, 
and  will  ever  have,  its  influence  upon  the  commerce  of  that 
continent : 

"  The  sea-shore  is  generally  low,  except  as  influenced  by  Atlas,  or  the 
Abyssinian  ranges,  or  the  mountains  of  the  southern  extremity.  There  is 
not  uncommonly  a  flat,  swampy  plain  bordering  on  the  sea,  where  the 

*  "  Africa  and  the  American  Flag,"  p.  32-34. 


The  African  Slave -Trade.  71 

rivers  push  out  their  deltas,  or  form  lagoons  by  their  conflict  with  the 
fierce  surge  upon  the  shore.  The  sea  does  not  deal  kindly  with  Africa, 
for  it  wastes  or  guards  the  shores  with  an  almost  unconquerable  surf. 
Tides  are  small,  and  rivers  are  not  safely  penetrable.  The  ocean  offered 
to  the  negro  nothing  but  a  little  food,  procured  with  some  trouble  and 
much  danger.  Hence  ocean  commerce  was  unknown  to  them." 

But  it  is  time  that  the  real  business  should  be  spoken  of 
which  the  commander  of  the  little  brig  Perry  took  in  hand 
to  do. 

After  the  great  European  war,  when,  in  the  language  of 
Lieutenant  Foote,  "  the  matured  villainy  of  the  wrorld "  was 
assembled  on  the  African  coast  to  re-establish  the  slave-trade, 
England  commenced  a  vigorous  system  of  cruising  by  her  war 
ships  to  suppress  the  trade.  In  1839  the  corrective  was  still 
more  stringently  applied.  Permission  had  then  been  wrung 
from  the  slave  -  trading  powers  to  capture  vessels  outward 
bound  for  Africa  when  fitted  for  the  slave-trade.  The  treaties 
provided  that  vessels  equipped  for  the  traffic  might  be  cap 
tured.  A  slaver  was  to  be  taken  because  she  was  a  slaver: 
just  as  it  is  better  to  shoot  the  wolf  before  he  has  killed  the 
sheep  than  afterward.  If  a  vessel,  therefore,  were  found  on 
the  African  coast  with  slave-irons,  water  in  sufficient  quantity 
for  a  slave-cargo,  with  a  slave-deck  laid  for  packing  slaves,  she 
was  seized  and  condemned  before  committing  the  overt  act. 
Under  this  arrangement  double  the  number  of  captures  was 
made  during  the  next  ten  years  than  in  the  twenty  years  pre 
vious.  The  efforts  of  the  English  squadron  were  conjoined 
with  those  of  France  and  the  United  States,  although  England 
took  the  laboring  oar,  and  was,  it  must  be  confessed,  the  most 
in  earnest  in  this  business.  A  treaty  with  Great  Britain  was 
signed  at  Washington  in  the  year  1842,  stipulating  that  each 
nation  should  maintain  on  the  African  coast  a  force  of  naval 
vessels  of  suitable  numbers  and  description,  to  carry  in  all  not 
less  than  eighty  guns,  to  enforce,  separately  and  respectively. 


72  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

the  laws,  rights,  and  obligations  of  each  of  the  two  countries, 
for  the  suppression  of  the  slave-trade.  These,  together  with 
other  subsidiary  means  (such  as  the  substitution  of  legal  trade, 
the  conversion  of  old  slave-factories  and  forts  into  positions 
defensive  against  their  former  purpose,  etc.),  reduced  the  ex 
port  of  slaves  in  1849  from  one  hundred  and  five  thousand 
to  about  thirty-seven  thousand.  Still  the  evil  was  great,  and 
.the  laxity  on  the  part  of  the  American  government  to  fulfill 
its  portion  of  the  treaty  was  sorely  felt ;  and  since  the  Ameri 
can  flag  was  inviolable  to  any  foreign  nation,  in  the  case  of 
falling  in  with  a  British  cruiser,  an  American  slaver,  on  pre 
senting  her  register,  or  sea-letter,  as  a  proof  of  nationality, 
could  not  be  searched  nor  detained.  The  American  flag  came 
thus  to  be  greatly  abused,  and  was  deeply  involved  in  the 
slave-traffic.  This  was  further  aided  by  the  artful  device  of 
legal  trading :  with  a  cargo  corresponding  to  the  manifest,  and 
all  the  ship's  papers  being  made  out  in  form.  American  slav 
ers,  under  the  disguise  of  doing  a  legal  business,  swarmed  on 
the  African  coast,  and  escaped  almost  with  impunity.  There 
was  sometimes  a  pretended  sale  when  the  slaver  was  ready 
to  start  from  the  African  coast :  the  American  captain  and  his 
crew  going  on  shore  as  the  slaves  were  coming  off,  while  the 
Portuguese  or  Italian  passengers,  who  came  out  in  her,  all 
at  once,  as  by  a  kind  of  devilish  jugglery,  became  the  mas 
ter  and  crew  of  the  vessel.  There  is  evidence  in  the  records 
of  the  Consulate  of  slaves  having  started  from  the  shore, 
and  at  the  same  time  the  master  and  crew  from  the  vessel, 
carrying  with  them  the  flag  and  ship's  papers ;  when,  the 
parties  becoming  frightened,  both  pulled  back ;  the  slaves 
were  returned  to  the  shore,  and  the  American  master  and 
crew  went  on  board  the  vessel.  The  stars  and  stripes  were 
a»;ain  hoisted  over  her,  and  kept  flying  until  the  cause  of 
the  alarm  (an  English  cruiser)  departed  from  the  coast,  and 
the  embarkation  was  safely  effected.  The  American  minis- 


Abuse  of  the  American  Flag.  73 

ter  at  the  court  of  Brazil  in  1844  wrote  to  the  Secretary  of 
State : 

"  I  regret  to  say  this,  but  it  is  a  fact  not  to  be  disguised  nor  denied  that 
the  slave-trade  is  almost  entirely  carried  on  under  our  flag  in  American- 
built  vessels,  sold  to  slavers  here,  chartered  for  the  coast  of  Africa,  and 
there  sold,  or  sold  here — delivered  on  the  coast.  And,  indeed,  the  scan 
dalous  traffic  could  not  be  carried  on  to  any  great  extent  were  it  not  for 
the  use  made  of  our  flag,  and  the  facilities  given  for  the  chartering  of 
American  vessels  to  carry  to  the  coast  of  Africa  the  outfit  for  the  trade 
and  the  material  for  purchasing  slaves." 

The  question  as  to  the  deplorable  effects  arising  from  the 
abuse  of  the  American  flag  was  brought  into  discussion  in 
1842  between  England  and  America,  and  the  treaty  before  re 
ferred  to  was  established;  but  the  question  was  still  left  un 
settled — How  is  a  vessel  to  be  ascertained  to  be  American  ? 
The  plea  that  any  vessel  hoisting  any  flag  is  thereby  secured 
against  all  interference  in  all  circumstances  never  could  be  se 
riously  maintained  as  a  principle  of  international  law.  Neither 
the  United  States  nor  any  other  power  has  ever  acted  on  a 
dogma  of  this  breadth.  The  United  States  government,  while 
asserting  the  inviolability  of  its  flag  (this  very  question  being 
the  origin  of  the  War  of  1812),  did  not  claim  that  its  flag 
should  give  immunity  to  those  who  were  not  American ;  for 
such  a  claim  would  render  it  a  cover  to  piracy,  and  to  acts  of 
the  greatest  atrocity.  "  But  any  vessel  which  hoists  the  Amer 
ican  flag  claims  to  be  American,  and  therefore,  while  she  may 
be  boarded  and  examined  by  an  American  cruiser,  this  right 
is  not  conceded  to  a  foreign  cruiser ;  for  the  flag  is  prima 
facie  evidence,  although  not  conclusive  proof  of  nationality ; 
and  if  such  vessel  be  really  American,  the  boarding  officer 
will  be  regarded  in  the  light  of  a  trespasser,  and  the  vessel 
will  have  all  the  protection  which  that  flag  supplies.  If,  on 
the  other  hand,  the  vessel  prove  not  to  be  American,  the  flag 
illegally  worn  will  afford  her  no  protection.  Therefore  a  for- 


74  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

eign  officer  boarding  a  vessel  under  the  flag  of  the  United 
States,  does  it  on  his  own  responsibility  for  all  consequences."'55 
Thus  complicated  and  unsatisfactory  was  the  condition  of 
things ;  and  although  after  the  treaty  the  United  States  gov 
ernment  sent  an  organized  naval  force  to  the  coast  of  Africa, 
which  was  the  means  of  capturing  many  slavers  and  of  re 
leasing  hundreds  of  wretched  negroes,  yet  the  evil  was  not 
checked ;  and  at  the  time  the  Perry  came  on  the  coast  the 
trade  was.  at  its  height,  and  perhaps  was  never  more  brisk.  A 
kind  of  immunity  was  given  to  British  cruisers  to  search  Amer 
ican  vessels  by  this  implied  permission  to  do  so  on  the  respon 
sibility  of  the  searching  party.  Blundering  mistakes  and  ar 
rogant  assumptions  on  the  part  of  British  war -vessels  not 
unfrequently  occurred ;  while  the  greater  evil  still  remained, 
that  the  slavers  themselves  continued  to  escape  in  great  num 
bers  even  from  British  vigilance  and  determination  to  root 
out  the  infamous  traffic  carried  on  under  the  protection  of 
the  banner  of  the  United  States. 

*  "  Africa  and  the  American  Flag,"  p.  233. 


CHAPTEE  VII. 


THERE  is  reason  to  think  that  Lieutenant  Foote,  after  so 
much  hard  sea-service,  did  not  greatly  desire  to  go  to  this 
harassing  post  of  duty  on  the  African  coast,  but  he  was  al 
ways  ready  for  honest  work ;  and  where  there  was  a  disagree 
able  piece  of  work  to  do,  or  a  difficult  post  to  fill,  it  was  quite 
the  custom  of  the  Navy  Department,  instead  of  sending  a  re 
luctant  officer,  or  of  running  the  risk  of  an  absolute  refusal,  to 
say,  "  Why,  send  Foote ;  he  will  go."  When  Foote  did  go,  it 
was  to  do  good  work,  putting  heart  and  soul  into  it.  Thus  it 
fell  out  that  a  great  deal  of  the  hard  service  of  the  Navy  in  his 
day  came  upon  this  energetic  officer ;  and  perhaps,  in  the  end, 
though  full  of  labor  and  care,  no  wTork  that  he  ever  did  gave 
him  more  satisfaction  than  the  effective  part  he  performed  in 
the  suppression  of  the  African  slave-trade,  for  it  was  directly 
in  the  line  of  his  own  character  and  convictions  as  a  fighter 
against  every  form  of  evil.  The  following  letter,  dated  Oc 
tober  15, 184-9,  was  written  to  him  before  sailing,  by  his  old 
commodore,  Joseph  Smith : 

"I  have  your  two  letters  of  the  12th  instant.  I  have  done  my  best 
with  the  Secretary  for  your  brig  and  for  your  own  convenience,  but  I 
can't  make  a  dent  upon  him.  He  says  he  will  order  a  purser  this  day ; 
but  no  person  whatever,  and  nothing  not  on  the  allowance-book,  will  be 
granted  to  you.  I  wished  to  have  Kelly — you  remember  him  in  the 
Cumberland  as  quartermaster — ordered  to  you  as  acting-boatswain.  He 
was  in  the  Perry  when  she  was  stranded,  and  never  let  go  the  helm  for 
twenty-nine  hours.  He  has  been  through  the  Gulf  war  as  acting-boat 
swain  of  a  small  craft.  I  am  a  little  selfish  in  your  orders  to  the  Perry, 
for  I  wished  to  hold  you  back  on  shore  duty  till  I  went  to  sea;  but  the 


76  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

Secretary  jumped  at  you  the  moment  lie  discovered  you  were  well  enough 
to  command.  We  want  such  persons  as  yourself  to  represent  us  abroad 
(and  at  home,  too),  and  your  aid  to  Gregory  will  be  peculiarly  oppor 
tune.  You  are  a  better  man  and  a  better  Christian  than  I  am,  therefore  it 
would  be  useless  for  me  to  tender  you  advice.  Before  you  take  your 
crew  from  the  receiving  ship,  beat  up  for  volunteers  to  commute  the 
spirit-ration ;  if  you  can,  get  them  entirely  to  relinquish  it.  Leave  the 
poison  behind  you ;  if  not,  get  as  many  as  you  can  to  start  fair  with,  if 
you  must  lay  in  the  devil's  fuel.  Keep  up  your  regular  Sunday  service, 
and  oftener  if  convenient;  Saturday  for  mending  day,  and  Sunday  for 
meditation  and  reading.  Each  officer  and  man  to  have  his  place  and 
duty.  Impose  as  much  responsibility  upon  the  petty  officers  as  they  will 
bear.  Your  command  will  be  happy,  healthy,  and  efficient  in  proportion 
as  those  under  you  engage  with  all  their  mind  in  their  duties,  and  are 
made  to  feel  that  reliance  is  placed  in  them.  Do  not  spare  the  lash  when 
the  exigency  demands  it,  but  throw  as  many  guards  around  it  as  will 
make  its  use  a  matter  of  absolute  necessity.  As  to  etiquette,  you  are  as 
aufait  in  it  as  I  am.  Should  you  meet  a  flag-ship  at  sea,  haul  up  courses, 
down  jib,  and  salute.  When  you  arrive  in  port,  send  a  boat  to  our  con 
sul,  and  offer  him  a  conveyance  on  board ;  and  salute  him  when  he  ar 
rives  with  seven  guns — the  consul-general  with  nine.  When  a  foreign 
ship  sends  a  boat  and  offers  services,  etc.,  send  a  boat  to  acknowledge 
the  compliment,  and  afterward  pay  your  respects  to  him  in  person.  The 
last  arrived  salutes  first  (except  our  own  flag-officers)  and  calls  first. 
Salute  the  place  first,  and  afterward  the  flag-officer,  if  any  is  in  port." 

How  much  good  advice  in  a  short  space  (excepting  the 
"  lash,"  which  belonged  to  the  older  and  more  barbarous  days 
of  the  Navy)  is  contained  in  this  letter !  It  is  a  kind  of  ma 
rine  pastoral  epistle  —  rough,  indeed,  but  sound,  honest,  apos 
tolic.  A  letter  written  at  this  time  by  his  friend  Dahlgren 

is  also  interesting : 

"  WASHINGTON,  October  30, 1849. 

"  MY  DEAR  FRIEND, — Your  very  acceptable  letter  of  the  17th  reached 
me  to-day,  for  which  I  am  much  indebted  to  you. 

"  The  impression  remained  on  my  mind  that  the  last  letter  between  us 
was  by  myself,  and  that  the  condition  of  your  sight  forbade  your  writing. 

"  In  two  instances  I  was  on  the  point  of  visiting  you  at  New  Haven 
(the  last  time  in  May  of  this  year),  when,  being  in  Boston  on  duty,  Dr. 


Letter  from  J.  A.  Dahlgren.  77 

Wheeler  and  myself  had  arranged  to  make  the  trip  together,  for  you 
were  often  the  subject  of  our  conversation,  and  we  felt  sorrowful  for  the 
state  of  your  health.  By  the  way,  there  is  no  one  in  whose  love  and  re 
gard  your  remembrance  is  more  fixed  than  in  that  of  the  doctor. 

"  I  regret  to  see  the  desponding  tone  of  your  letter.  Five  or  six  years 
passed  with  me  in  mental  torture  that  no  one  can  understand  save  a  fel 
low-sufferer;  and  yet  my  eyes  now  are  so  unexpectedly  changed  that 
last  summer  I  dispensed  with  glasses  for  the  first  time  in  ten  years.  They 
are  still  weak,  and  unequal  to  much  exertion ;  but  think  how  much  bet 
ter.  Homoeopathy  has  been  the  agent  of  this  beyond  doubt,  and  I  regret 
truly  that  you  had  not  been  induced  to  try  this  at  an  early  period. 

"  If  the  master  is  inefficient,  you  had  better  get  him  out  of  the  vessel 
as  soon  as  you  can  without  trouble  to  yourself.  And  now  let  me  advise 
you — whether  the  master  is  good  or  bad — to  procure  a  ship's  book  of  suit 
able  size,  and  cause  the  master  there  to  record  and  work  every  observa 
tion.  I  do  not  mean  the  clean  copy  of  either,  but  the  original  figures  just 
as  made  and  corrected — not  in  pencil,  but  ink.  This,  with  any  memo 
randa  showing  the  ship's  position  from  other  sources,  should  be  present 
ed  daily.  As  the  case  now  stands,  a  commander  takes  a  result  without 
knowing  the  data.  First  the  master  is  to  mention  the  chronometer  with 
the  observation  rates.  Before  leaving  them  he  verifies  these  rates  by 
other  observations  with  the  sextant.  These  are  to  be  recorded;  at  sea, 
the  time  and  latitude,  the  rate  and  error,  and  so  on.  In  almost  every 
department  of  a  ship  save  this  the  record  has  been  systematized. 

"  I  have  little  doubt  of  the  action  of  Congress  in  respect  to  flogging, 
and  I  am  utterly  at  a  loss  to  imagine  a  substitute.  Last  session  it  would 
have  been  brought  about,  but  that  a  few  doubtless,  like  the  Dutch  gov 
ernor,  felt  alarmed.  On  one  occasion  the  chairman  of  the  Senate  Naval 
Committee  spoke  to  me  about  it.  I  told  him  that  there  seemed  to  be  an 
impression  that  naval  officers  were  partial  to  the  system  for  its  own  sake. 
This  was  not  so — it  was  a  most  unpleasant  duty ;  and  the  fact  that  they 
submitted  to  the  painful  necessity  of  inflicting  it  proved  how  strong 
the  necessity  was.  I  told  him  that  demagogues  argued  as  if  the  Navy 
were  created  for  the  special  benefit  of  officers — not  as  if  it  were  an  insti 
tution  for  the  common  good.  For  great  as  might  be  the  personal  inter 
est  of  any  officer,  it  was  slight  in  comparison  to  that  which  the  planter, 
the  farmer,  and  the  merchant  had  in  the  existence  of  a  force  afloat  com 
petent  to  protect  national  and  individual  rights. 

"  I  wish  I  could  say  something  in  favor  of  the  force  of  a  vessel  like  the 


78  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

Perry.  Her  battery  is  perhaps  as  good  as  she  can  carry.  Unless  the 
change  were  radical,  I  would  prefer  to  arm  her  with  two  heavy  pivot- 
guns  (say  8-inch). 

"  Your  largest  pieces  are  32-pounders  of  33  cwt.  If  so,  they  are  good 
guns,  and  at  half  a  mile  would  tell  effectively  ;*  even  beyond  that  they 
would  not  be  comfortable  customers  for  an  enemy.  Always  ricochet  the 
shot  when  the  water  is  smooth  enough ;  but  with  the  shells  keep  the 
gun  up  about  half  a  degree,  so  that  the  shot  may  not  touch  first  nearer 
than  500  yards,  as  the  water  is  apt  to  extinguish  the  priming  of  the  fuse. 
In  a  second  this  is  accomplished,  and  then  neither  water  nor  wood  will 
put  out  the  fuse. 

"  I  wish  much  that  I  had  known  earlier  of  your  appointment  to  the 
Perry,  as  I  should  have  liked  a  boat  howitzer  to  go  with  you  on  trial. 
Now  I  have  none  suitable,  and  there  is  not  time  to  cast  and  finish  one. 

"The  kind  which  I  have  proposed  is  now  intended  by  the  Bureau 
to  be  essayed  in  such  vessels  as  have  boats  to  carry  them.  They  consist 
of  12 -pounders  of  two  sizes,  400  Ibs.  and  800  Ibs.,  and  24 -pounders 
of  1300  Ibs.,  for  launches  of  sloops,  frigates,  and  liners  respectively.  The 
model  is  after  my  own  notion,  and  I  am  allowed  to  make  them.  The 
ammunition  is  spherical  case  (that  is,  a  thin  iron  shell  charged  with  mus 
ket-balls,  and  burst  near  the  boats  or  men  fired  at  by  a  fuse  and  bursting 
charge).  The  English  term  is  shrapnel.  They  were  used  at  Buena  Vista 
and  Palo  Alto,  and  alone  saved  our  forces.  I  have  so  arranged  the  car 
riage  that  no  breaching  is  required,  and  this  facilitates  the  use,  so  that 
a  howitzer  can  be  fired  seven  times  in  a  minute.  This  has  been  done 
often  in  the  presence  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Dupont,  Buchanan, 
and  others  ;  though  it  would  not  be  practicable  in  a  boat  for  want  of 
room. 

"  I  have  now  a  very  important  proposition  on  hand,  which,  in  my  view, 
will  work  great  changes.  I  shall  soon  be  furnished  with  pieces  of  the 
right  character  required  to  prove  it,  and  at  some  future  time  you  will 
hear  of  it. 

"  And  now,  my  valued  friend,  you  have  in  these  two  sheets  some  evi 
dence  of  my  pleasure  in  hearing  from  you.  While  you  are  absent  you 
shall  continue  to  have  some  remembrance  from  me.  Let  me  entreat  you 
to  take  good  care  of  your  health,  and  be  cheerful  and  hopeful.  When 
you  get  wet,  have  the  circulation  assisted  by  a  good  rubbing,  and  never 

*  That  is,  will  strike  almost  every  shot. 


The  "Louisa  Beaton?  79 

lay  aside  flannel— change  it  often.  Use  no  more  meat  than  is  absolutely 
necessary  when  the  breathing  organs  are  tender.  "With  you  goes  every 
wish  that  a  friend  can  offer.  Ever  affectionately, 

"  JOHN  A.  DAHLGREN." 

On  the  21st  of  December,  1849,  the  Perry  arrived  at  Porto 
Praya,  Cape  de  Yerde  Islands,  the  rendezvous  of  the  American 
squadron.  She  was  immediately  ordered  on  a  cruise  south  of 
the  equator ;  and  after  the  vessel  had  reached  the  southern 
point  of  destination,  she  was  to  cruise  along  the  coast,  examin 
ing  the  principal  points  or  slave-stations,  such  as  the  Salinas, 
Benguela,  Loanda,  Ambriz,  River  Congo,  and  intermediate 
places,  back  toward  Monrovia.  She  reached  St.  Philip  de  Ben 
guela  after  a  passage  of  forty-one  days,  and  none  too  soon, 
since  but  five  days  previous  an  English  cruiser  had  captured 
near  this  place  a  brig  with  eight  hundred  slaves  on  board. 
This  vessel  came  from  Rio  de  Janeiro,  under  American  colors 
and  papers,  with  an  American  captain  and  crew,  and  had 
been  transferred,  when  on  the  coast,  to  a  Brazilian  captain 
and  crew.  Still  other  captures  were  announced  of  similar 
character. 

Lieutenant  Foote,  who  was  heartily  welcomed  to  the  station 
by  the  English  commanders,  set  about  at  once  to  right  mat 
ters,  and  began  active  cruising  off  Ambriz,  a  noted  slave-mart, 
in  company  with  the  English  war-steamer  Cyclops.  He  insti 
tuted  prompt  inquiries  in  relation  to  those  slavers  captured 
under  American  colors  and  adjudicated  upon  in  English  courts. 
In  the  case  of  the  Louisa  Beaton  he  acted  with  independence 
and  energy.  This  was  an  American  brigantine,  which  had 
been  boarded  and  examined  by  the  Perry,  and  proved  to  be  a 
legal  trader.  She  afterward  ran  out  of  Ambriz  under  Amer 
ican  colors,  having  awakened  suspicion  that  she  had  stealthily 
shipped  a  cargo  of  slaves.  Two  boats  from  the  Perry  were 
immediately  dispatched  in  pursuit.  They  did  not  succeed  in 
overhauling  the  vessel.  Thereupon  Lieutenant  Foote  request- 

F 


8o  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

ed  the  commander  of  the  Cyclops  to  take  his  (Foote's)  second 
lieutenant  on  board  and  steam  after  her.  The  proposal  was 
readily  complied  with ;  but  after  running  out  forty  miles  with 
out  obtaining  sight  of  the  Beaton,  she  returned.  The  com 
mander  of  the  Cyclops  addressed  a  letter  to  Lieutenant  Foote, 
saying  that  he  had  noticed  the  sailing  of  the  Louisa  Beaton  ; 
that  he  had  suspected  her  of  being  a  disguised  slaver;  and 
had  there  been  no  American  man-of-war  present,  he  should 
have  considered  it  his  duty  to  have  overhauled  her  and  satis 
fied  himself  that  her  nationality  had  not  been  changed  by  sale 
at  Ambriz — not  taking  it  for  granted  that  the  flag  displayed  by 
any  vessel  was  a  sufficient  evidence  of  her  nationality.  Lieu 
tenant  Foote  replied,  stating  that  he  had  in  the  mean  time 
found  the  Louisa  Beaton  at  St.  Paul  de  Loanda,  and  ascer 
tained  her  legal  character ;  and  that  the  principle  assumed  by 
the  British  commander  could  not  for  a  moment  be  allowed, 
but  that,  in  words  which  have  been  already  quoted,  the  flag 
which  a  vessel  wears  is  prima  facie  though  not  conclusive 
proof  of  her  nationality;  that  those  who  lawfully  displayed  the 
flag  of  the  United  States  should  have  all  the  protection  it  sup 
plies;  and  when  a  cruiser  boarded  a  vessel  under  this  flag, 
she  did  it  upon  her  own  responsibility.  Again,  a  few  months 
afterward,  in  the  case  of  the  same  Louisa  Beaton,  the  com 
mander  of  the  Perry  insisted  upon  the  principle  in  respect  to 
the  inviolability  of  the  flag  in  an  instance  of  palpable  outrage, 
when  the  British  cruiser  Dolphin  boarded  and  detained  the 
Louisa  Beaton,  seventy  miles  off  land,  sailing  under  Amer 
ican  colors,  and  having  a  proper  national  register  and  all  her 
papers  good,  with  the  exception  of  the  absence  of  a  sea-letter, 
usually  given  by  consular  officers  to  legal  traders  after  trans 
fer  of  masters. 

The  protracted  correspondence  of  nearly  a  year  which  en 
sued  between  Lieutenant  Foote  and  the  British  commander 
of  the  southern  division,  Hon.  Captain  Hastings,  was  published 


Diplomatic  Questions.  81 

in  the  "  Blue-Book,"  or  Parliamentary  Papers  of  1851,  and  re 
sulted  in  the  British  commander's  disavowal  of  the  act  of  the 
captain  of  the  Dolphin,  his  offer  to  make  pecuniary  restitu 
tion,  and  his  apology  to  the  master  of  the  Louisa  Beaton  for 
the  detention ;  and,  above  all,  the  important  principle  of  the 
inviolability  of  the  flag  was  established.  English  commanders 
abstained  from  even  going  alongside  a  legal  American  trader 
without  the  assent  of  an  American  naval  commander. 

Lieutenant  Foote  was  thus  called  upon  to  settle  nice  points  of 
international  law  without  help  from  any  quarter.  In  his  own 
words :  "  We  have  cruised  ten  months  on  this  southern  coast, 
where,  with  the  exception  of  two  months  by  the  ship  John 
Adams  and  one  month  by  the  Portsmouth,  there  has  been  no 
American  man-of-war ;  neither  has  there  been  a  consul,  nor 
any  public  functionary  but  myself  to  supervise  our  commercial 
interests  and  suppress  the  slave-trade  as  carried  on  by  Amer 
ican  vessels  and  American  citizens ;  while  the  English,  French, 
and  Portuguese,  with  less  commerce,  have  their  commissioned 
consuls,  commodores,  and  squadrons,  with  whom  I  have  been 
in  frequent  correspondence ;  and  many  new  and  delicate  points, 
which  might  have  been  more  appropriately  assigned  to  an  ex 
perienced  diplomatist,  than  added  to  the  cares  and  responsi 
bilities  of  a  lieutenant  in  command  of  the  only  national  vessel 
on  the  coast."* 

But  Lieutenant  Foote  did  not  spend  his  time  in  diplomatic 
correspondence ;  he  was  at  the  same  time  actively  engaged  in 
real  work.  The  Perry  and  her  boats  were  constantly  at  sea 
in  search  of  slavers,  boarding  many  legal  traders,  and  chasing 
suspicious  vessels,  the  boats  sometimes  being  absent  for  a  long 
time,  lost  in  fog  and  overtaken  by  squalls,  the  commander 
sharing  the  severest  hardships  with  his  men  in  this  laborious 
service ;  oftentimes  approaching  shore  where  the  roar  of  the 

*  Private  letter  to  Hon.  Truman  Smith. 


82  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

tremendous  surf  on  the  low  African  coast  could  be  heard  for 
twenty  miles,  passing  the  breakers,  and  running  up  unhealthy, 
jungle-bordered  rivers  to  the  slave-barracoons. 

Provisions  being  nearly  exhausted,  the  Perry  went  north 
coastwise  to  Prince's  Island,  and  there  had  orders  from  the 
commodore  to  make  requisitions  upon  the  flag-ship  for  provi 
sions,  and  prepare  again  for  service  on  the  southern  coast. 
After  a  stay  of  a  few  days,  the  brave  little  brig  turned  her 
prow  southward  a  second  time  to  resume  her  cruising-ground. 
On  the  7th  of  June,  1850,  between  Ambriz  and  Loanda,  a 
large  ship,  with  two  tiers  of  painted  ports,  was  made  to  wind 
ward,  standing  in  for  the  land.  The  vessel  was  overhauled, 
having  the  name  Martha,  New  York,  registered  on  her  stern. 
The  Perry  had  no  colors  flying.  The  ship,  when  in  range  of 
the  guns,  hoisted  the  American  ensign,  shortened  sail,  and 
backed  her  maintop-sail.  The  first  lieutenant,  Mr.  Rush,  was 
sent  to  board  her.  As  he  was  rounding  her  stern,  the  people 
on  board  observed,  by  the  uniform  of  the  boarding-officer,  that 
the  vessel  was  an  American  cruiser.  The  ship  then  hauled 
down  the  American,  and  hoisted  Brazilian  colors.  The  offi 
cer  went  on  board,  and  asked  for  papers  and  other  proofs  of 
nationality.  The  captain  denied  having  papers,  or  log,  or  any 
thing  else.  At  the  same  time  something  was  thrown  over 
board,  which  was  picked  up  by  another  boat  sent  from  the 
Perry,  and  proved  to  be  the  writing-desk  of  the  captain,  con 
taining  sundry  papers  and  letters  identifying  the  captain  as 
an  American  citizen ;  also  proving  the  owner  of  three  fifths  of 
the  vessel  to  be  an  American  merchant,  resident  in  Rio  de 
Janeiro.  After  obtaining  satisfactory  proof  that  the  ship  Mar 
tha  was  a  slaver,  she  was  seized  as  a  prize. 

There  were  found  on  board  this  vessel  one  hundred  and  sev 
enty-six  casks  filled  with  water,  containing  from  one  hundred 
to  one  hundred  and  fifty  gallons  each ;  one  hundred  and  fifty 
barrels  of  farina  for  slave-food ;  several  sacks  of  beans ;  slave- 


Capture  of  the  Slave-Ship  "Martha"  83 

deck  laid ;  four  iron  boilers  for  cooking  slave-provisions ;  iron 
bars,  with  the  necessary  wood-work  for  securing  slaves  to  the 
deck ;  four  hundred  spoons  for  feeding  them ;  between  thirty 
and  forty  muskets,  and  a  written  agreement  between  the  owner 
and  captain,  with  the  receipt  of  the  owner  for  two  thousand 
milreis. 

The  captain  claimed  that  the  vessel  could  not  lawfully  be 
subjected  to  search  by  an  American  man-of-war  while  under 
Brazilian  colors.  But  on  being  informed  that  he  would  be 
seized  as  a  pirate  for  sailing  without  papers  even  were  he  not 
a  slaver,  he  admitted  that  she  was  on  a  slave  voyage;  add 
ing  that,  had  he  not  fallen  in  with  the  Perry,  he  would  dur 
ing  that  night  have  shipped  eighteen  hundred  slaves,  and  be 
fore  daylight  in  the  morning  been  clear  of  the  coast. 

The  crew  of  the  Martha  were  immediately  put  in  irons; 
a  force  of  twenty-five  men,  with  the  first  and  second  lieuten 
ants,  was  placed  on  board,  the  ship  provisioned,  and  in  twenty- 
four  hours  after  her  capture  the  vessels  exchanged  three  cheers, 
and  the  Martha  was  on  her  way  to  New  York,  where  she  was 
condemned  in  the  United  States  District  Court  as  a  slaver. 

The  British  commissioner  soon  afterward  at  Loanda  offered 
his  congratulations  on  the  capture  of  the  Martha,  remarking 
that  she  was  the  largest  slaver  that  had  been  on  the  coast  for 
many  years;  and  the  effect  of  sending  all  hands  on  her  to  the 
United  States  would  prove  a  severe  blow  to  the  iniquitous 
traffic. 

In  the  neighborhood  of  Ambriz  the  Perry  chased  and  cap 
tured  the  American  brigantine  Chatsworth,  bearing  every  proof 
of  being  a  slaver,  but  evidence  which  would  be  required  in  the. 
United  States  courts  essential  to  her  condemnation  being  want 
ing,  she  was  reluctantly  released.  She  was  afterward  boarded 
by  the  Perry  under  still  more  suspicious  circumstances ;  and 
additional  proofs  being  obtained  of  her  true  character,  notwith 
standing  her  having  two  sets  of  papers,  passing  alternately  un- 


84  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

der  different  nationalities,  eluding  detection  from  papers  be 
ing  in  form,  and  trading  with  an  assorted  cargo,  she  was  pro 
nounced  a  prize,  and  was  sent  to  America,  where,  after  a  long 
trial,  she  was  condemned  as  a  slaver  in  the  United  States  Dis 
trict  Court  of  Maryland.  By  the  capture  of  the  Chatsworth, 
in  whose  case  the  ingenuity  of  these  unscrupulous  villains  had 
taxed  itself  to  the  utmost  as  far  as  the  American  flag  was  con 
cerned,  a  severe  and  unexpected  blow  was  struck  at  the  slave- 
trade.  Four  thousand  slaves  were  waiting  at  the  barracoons 
of  Ambriz,  ready  for  shipment,  at  the  time  of  the  seizure ;  and 
Lieutenant  Foote  in  his  private  journal  relates  that  the  captain 
of  the  Louisa  Beaton,  who  had  given  information  respecting 
the  true  character  of  the  Chatsworth,  went  on  shore  at  Am 
briz,  at  the  request  of  Foote,  to  procure  some  papers,  and  from 
the  time  elapsing  before  his  return  there  was  reason  to  suspect 
foul  play  from  the  slavers  in  revenge  for  his  informing  upon 
them.  Mr.  Foote  adds :  "  My  plan  would  have  been,  had  there 
been  foul  play,  to  march  at  the  head  of  my  men  out  four  miles 
to  the  slave-barracoons,  and  let  four  thousand  of  the  ( oppressed 
go  free,'  and  thus  made  free  soil  and  free-soilers." 

In  a  private  letter  to  a  friend  in  Cheshire,  dated  September 
25, 1850,  Lieutenant  Foote  remarks  :  "  Our  orders  are  so  strin 
gent  that  no  commander  will  capture  a  slaver  unless  he  assume 
great  responsibility.  I  took  the  Chatsworth  in  the  face  of  a 
protest  of  $22,000  from  her  captain  and  supercargo ;  still  she 
and  the  Martha  must  be  condemned." 

A  visit  was  made  at  this  time  by  the  commander  and  offi 
cers  of  the  Perry  to  a  native  potentate  in  the  interior,  the 
Queen  of  Ambrizette,  who  is  thus  described:  "A  little  withered 
woman  then  appeared,  having,  in  addition  to  her  native  cos 
tume,  an  old  red  cloak,  drawn  tight  around  her  throat,  and  so 
worn  as  to  make  her  look  like  a  loose  iimbrella  with  two  han 
dles."  After  a  long  palaver,  the  prime-minister  of  the  queen, 
wearing  as  his  chief  garment  an  old  French  full-dress  navy 


Third  Southern  Cruise.  85 

uniform  coat,  suggested  that  he  considered  his  services  on  the 
occasion  to  be  worth  two  bottles  of  rum.  Compliance  with 
this  request  was  totally  impracticable,  as  the  spirit-room  casks 
of  the  Perry  had  been  filled  only  with  water. 

The  cruises  of  the  Perry  were  made  upon  the  total-absti 
nence  principle;  and  this  probably  will  account  for  the  good 
health  of  the  crew  on  that  unwholesome  coast. 

On  the  8th  of  January,  1851,  the  Perry  again  reported  her 
self  to  the  commander-in-chief  at  Porto  Praya,  after  one  year's 
service  on  the  African  coast.  Here  she  made  preparations  for 
a  third  southern  cruise.  As  the  slave-trade  had  been  pretty 
much  driven  out  of  Ambriz,  and  had  shifted  itself  to  the  Congo 
River,  the  Perry  proceeded  thither,  encountering  on  the  pas 
sage  a  heavy  tornado.  Lieutenant  Foote  thus  describes  the 
Congo  River : 

u  The  river  is  more  than  two  leagues  broad  at  its  mouth.  At  the  dis 
tance  of  eight  or  ten  miles  seaward,  in  a  northeasterly  direction,  the  wa 
ter  preserves  its  freshness ;  and  at  the  distance  of  fifty  and  even  sixty 
miles  it  has  a  black  tinge.  Here  are  often  seen  small  islands  floating 
seaward,  formed  of  fibrous  roots,  bamboo,  rushes,  and  long  grass,  and 
covered  with  birds.  The  banks  of  the  Congo  are  lined  with  low  man 
grove  bushes,  with  clumps  of  a  taller  species  interspersed,  growing  to  the 
height  of  seventy  feet.  Palm-trees,  and  other  trees  of  a  smaller  growth, 
are  seen  with  a  rich  and  beautiful  foliage.  In  going  up  the  river,  the 
southern  shore  should  be  hugged,  where  there  is  plenty  of  water  close  to 
the  land.  The  current  is  so  strong — often  running  six  miles  an  hour  off 
Shark's  Point — that  an  exceedingly  fresh  sea-breeze  is  necessary  in  order 
to  stem  the  stream.  The  greatest  strength  of  this  current,  however,  is 
superficial,  not  extending  more  than  six  or  eight  feet  in  depth.  The 
Congo,  like  all  the  rivers  of  Africa,  except  the  Nile,  is  navigable  but  a 
short  distance  before  reaching  the  rapids.  The  great  central  region  be 
ing  probably  not  less  than  three  thousand  feet  in  altitude  above  the  sea, 
these  rapids  are  formed  by  a  sudden  depression  of  the  surface  of  the  coun 
try  toward  the  sea,  or  by  a  bed  of  hard  rock  stretching  across  the  basin 
of  the  river."* 

*  "Africa  and  the  American  Flag,"  p.  346. 


86  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

A  paper  of  considerable  hydrographical  interest  in  relation 
to  the  Congo  River  and  the  navigation  of  the  southern  equato 
rial  coast  of  Africa  was  drawn  up  by  the  first  lieutenant  of 
the  ship,  Mr.  Porter,  and,  after  having  been  carefully  supervised 
by  the  commander,  was  dispatched  to  the  United  States  Ka- 
tional  Observatory,  and  has  since  been  published  in  "  Maury's 
Sailing  Directions." 

This  third  cruise  of  the  Perry  revealed  the  fact  that  the 
slave-trade  had  received  an  effectual  check  within  the  past 
year.  Only  one  suspected  American  vessel  had  been  seen  on 
the  south  coast  since  the  capture  of  the  Chatsworth. 

In  a  letter  from  Sir  George  Jackson,  British  commissioner  at 
Loanda,  addressed  about  this  time  to  Lord  Palmerston,  it  was 
stated  that  the  languishing  state  of  the  slave-trade  was  owing 
to  the  activity  of  British  cruisers,  the  co-operation  of  part  of 
the  American  squadron  on  the  southern  coast,  within  the  year 
the  capture  of  two  or  three  slavers  bearing  the  flag  of  that  na 
tion,  together  with  the  measures  adopted  by  the  Brazilian  gov 
ernment  ;  so  that  it  might  be  said  that  the  trade  on  this  south 
ern  coast  was  now  confined  to  a  few  vessels  bearing  the  Sar 
dinian  flag.  How  much  of  this  was  due  to  the  energetic  ef 
forts  of  Lieutenant  Foote,  the  reader  himself  is  now,  it  is  hoped, 
capable  of  judging. 

In  a  private  letter  of  Sir  George  Jackson  to  Lieutenant 
Foote  this  direct  personal  allusion  is  made : 

"  The  zeal  and  activity  displayed  by  yourself  and  brother  officers,  and 
the  seizures  which  were  the  results  of  them,  at  once  changed  the  face  of 
things.  The  actual  loss  which  the  traffic  has  sustained,  and  still  more 
the  dread  of  those  further  losses  which  they  anticipated  on  seeing  the 
United  States  squadron  prepared  to  confront  them  at  those  very  haunts 
to  which  they  had  been  accustomed  to  repair  with  impunity,  and  deter 
mined  to  vindicate  the  honor  of  their  insulted  flag,  which  they  had  too 
long  been  allowed  to  prostitute,  struck  terror  into  those  miscreants  on 
both  sides  of  the  Atlantic.  And  from  the  date  of  those  very  opportune 
captures  not  a  vessel  illicitly  assuming  American  colors  has  been  seen  on 
the  coast." 


The  "Perry"  Ordered  Home.  87 

The  Perry  continued  to  cruise  vigilantly  for  some  months, 
only  varying  the  hard  monotony  of  the  service  by  a  visit  to 
St.  Helena,  where  Lieutenant  Foote  and  his  officers,  like  sea- 
worn  Ulysses  and  his  crew  at  some  pleasant  isle  of  the  ocean, 
were  treated  with  marked  kindness  and  courtesy. 

Late  in  the  autumn  the  Perry  sailed  for  the  north  coast  to 
her  old  rendezvous  at  Porto  Praya,  where  she  awaited  the  com 
ing  of  the  American  squadron,  one  at  least  of  whose  vessels, 
the  John  Adams,  had  done  good  service  also  on  the  coast. 
Commodore  Gregory,  in  an  official  letter  to  Lieutenant  Foote, 
wrote :  "  The  course  you  have  pursued  meets  my  fullest  com 
mendation;  and  the  zeal,  ability,  and  energy  with  which  you 
have  discharged  the  important  duties  assigned  you,  commands 
my  highest  respect,  and  I  have  no  doubt  will  be  most  favor 
ably  considered  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

Upon  the  commodore's  arrival,  the  Perry  was  relieved  of 
her  duty  upon  the  African  station  and  ordered  home,  arriving 
at  New  York,  after  a  rough  winter  passage,  on  the  26th  of  De 
cember,  1851.  The  appreciation  of  the  services  of  the  com 
mander  by  the  Navy  Department  was  expressed  to  him  through 
the  Secretary  (Hon.  J.  C.  Dobbin)  in  high  terms  of  satisfaction. 

Commodore  (now  Rear- Admiral)  Smith,  who  ever  rejoiced 
in  an -opportunity  to  award  his  friend  praise,  thus  writes  to  him 
from  Washington : 

"  It  affords  me  great  pleasure  to  say  that  the  Department,  so  far  as  I 
can  learn,  is  highly  gratified  with  your  doings.  Your  vigilance,  discre 
tion,  activity,  and  talents  are  duly  appreciated,  and,  not  least  of  all,  your 
moral  training  of  those  under  your  orders  is,  and  ought  to  be  regarded 
as  reflecting  honor  upon  the  Navy.  You  have  won  honor  and  glory 
enough  to  rest  upon  your  laurels  for  some  time." 

Mr.  Webster  also  officially  signified  his  approval  of  the 
course  pursued  by  the  captain  of  the  Perry  in  his  negotiations 
with  the  English  and  other  foreign  powers  in  the  delicate  and 
difficult  business  intrusted  to  his  hands. 


88  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

A  few  additional  observations  of  a  personal  nature  respect 
ing  this  service  on  the  African  coast,  drawn  from  the  journal 
and  notes  of  Lieutenant  Foote,  are  reserved  for  the  next  chap 
ter.  It  was  so  cold  and  stormy  when  the  brig  came  upon  the 
American  coast  that,  supposing  he  might  be  driven  off  to  sea 
again  if  he  waited  for  a  pilot,  the  commander,  assuming  the 
responsibility,  acted  as  his  own  pilot,  and  brought  the  vessel 
into  port  without  assistance.  It  might  here  be  added  that 
our  hero  reaped  more  fame  than  money  from  his  prizes,  since 
he  once  told  a  friend  that  one  gold  watch  was  all  the  mate 
rial  fruit,  over  and  above  his  regular  pay,  of  his  two  anxious 
years'  cruising  on  the  coast  of  Africa. 


CHAPTEE  VIII. 

PRIVATE   JOURNAL    ON    THE  "  PERRY." 

IN  an  address,  delivered  January  18, 1855,  by  Commander 
Foote  before  the  American  Colonization  Society,  he  sums  up 
what  was  done  by  the  Perry  in  these  words :  "  In  my  own 
vessel — the  Perry — we  were  cruising  for  two  years,  much  of 
the  time  exposed  in  boats— frequently  absent  from  the  vessel 
days  and  nights ;  boarded  seventy  vessels,  and  captured  two  or 
three  slavers,  yet  not  a  single  death  occurred  among  the  offi 
cers  and  crew.  The  only  sanitary  measures  adopted  were — 
not  to  be  on  shore  during  the  night,  and  issuing  no  grog-ra 
tions  during  the  cruise." 

Upon  a  fever-smitten  coast  where  it  is  thought  to  be  death 
for  any  but  the  black  man  to  live ;  exposed  to  a  blazing  sun  by 
day  and  malarious  exhalations  by  night ;  tossed  about  in  the 
open  sea,  and  sometimes  caught  in  the  hurricane  sweeping- 
down  from  the  African  highlands  over  the  Gulf  of  Guinea — 
in  all  these  varied  perils  and  hardships  for  two  long  years, 
there  was  not  a  death  on  board  the  Perry. 

It  was  not  only  a  temperance  ship,  but  a  ship  where  the 
rulership  of  the  Most  High  was  acknowledged  in  public  wor 
ship  and  private  devotion ;  and,  above  all,  in  the  care  of  its 
master  for  the  best  good  of  his  men. 

A  few  extracts  from  his  "sea- journal" — evidently  meant 
for  no  eye  but  his  own — give  us  a  glimpse  into  the  economy 
of  the  good  ship,  and  of  the  good  man's  heart  who  command 
ed  her.  These  are  not  always  cheerful  extracts.  They  some 
times  reveal  conflict ;  but  is  the  real  hero  one  who  has  no 
warfare  ? 


9O  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

November  29, 1849.—"  Carried  all  studding-sails  and  royals  from  the  time 
the  pilot  left  us.  Vessel  behaving  as  well  as  a  frigate ;  perfectly  easy 
in  her  roll  and  decks  dry,  although  quite  a  heavy  sea  on.  Officers  and 
men  contented  and  happy ;  the  latter  believed  to  be  more  so  from  having 
all  of  them  stopped  their  whisky-ration." 

December  4, 1849. — "  Sea  heavy,  and  vessel  very  uneasy.  Thus  far  the 
passage  has  been  exceedingly  rough,  except  in  crossing  the  Gulf  Stream. 
All  the  officers  are  sea-sick,  and  a  great  number  of  the  men.  Surgeon  has 
been  reading  to  me  Neander's  Church  History.  We  have  frequent  con 
versations  on  the  subject  of  religion.  This  day  have  been  twenty-seven 
years  in  the  Navy." 

December  5, 1849. — "  Fresh  gales  and  squalls.  Carried  sail  very  heav 
ily  to  ascertain  the  qualities  of  the  brig,  which  stood  up  uncommonly 
well  under  a  large  press.  Toward  night  close-reefed  the  top-sails.  From 
eight  to  twelve,  very  heavy  sea,  with  thunder,  lightning,  and  rain.  Vessel 
very  uncomfortable  all  night ;  I  did  not  get  more  than  four  hours'  sleep, 
being  on  deck  until  after  1  A.M.  My  eyes  suffer  from  great  exposure  and 
watching." 

December  9, 1849. — "  Gale  increasing  and  sea  very  heavy,  but  the  brig 
exceedingly  comfortable  under  the  circumstances ;  takes  in  a  great  deal 
of  spray,  but  not  as  much  sea  as  when  the  wind  was  ahead.  At  three  called 
all  hands  on  deck  to  witness  punishment,  when  I  was  under  the  painful 
necessity  of  giving  seaman twelve  lashes  with  the  cats  for  hav 
ing  gone  below  when  it  was  his  watch  on  deck.  I  said  a  few  words  to 
the  crew  in  relation  to  duty,  etc.  Made  eight  inches  of  water  in  one  hour, 
which  excited  apprehension  lest  the  leak  might  increase  as  fast  as  the 
pumps  could  free  her ;  but  after  midnight  the  gale  abated  and  the  leak 
diminished,  showing  it  to  have  been  in  a  measure  produced  by  the  heavy 
weather." 

December  16, 1849. — "  I  read  divine  service  to  all  hands,  during  which 
time  a  quantity  of  spray  came  over  me,  and  the  wind  was  so  fresh  that  I 
was  obliged  to  read  very  loud." 

December  31, 1849.—"  Climate  affecting  my  eyes,  and  debilitating  the 
system  generally." 


Private  Journal. 


January  1, 1850.  Porto  Praya. — "  A  new  year  has  commenced.  May 
God  forgive,  for  his  Son's  sake,  all  my  sins,  and  grant  me  his  continual 
presence  during  the  year  to  come.  One  year  ago  an  illness  of  the  most 
painful  and  dangerous  character  confined  me  to  my  bed  for  five  months. 
Now  the  next  five  months  are  to  be  spent  in  a  most  unhealthy  climate  in 
the  most  unhealthy  season." 

January  8, 1850. — "  On  Sunday  I  had  one  of  my  severe  headaches.  I 
was  in  consequence  unable  to  read  the  service,  although  I  had  invited 
several  officers  from  the  flag-ship  to  be  present." 

January  12, 1850.  At  sea. — "  Found  bottom  in  one  hundred  fathoms. 
The  master  had  the  morning  watch,  and  ought  to  have  reported  the  dis 
coloration  of  the  water ;  but  he  is  ill-qualified  to  perform  his  duty  (espe 
cially  in  taking  reckoning),  which  imposes  a  severe  tax  upon  my  eyes. 
Carried  away,  or  parted,  the  lead-line,  which  was  an  old  one,  and  the 
only  deep-sea  line  we  have,  except  one  much  smaller  of  sixty  fathoms. 
We  were  fitted  out  miserably  in  Norfolk.  The  master  and  passed  mid 
shipman  differed  much  in  their  reckoning.  Found  we  were  farther  east 
than  I  had  anticipated.  Spent  an  anxious  and  uncomfortable  day.  Such 
a  command  is  no  sinecure.  Ah  !  this  life  in  its  most  enviable  state  satis 
fies  not  the  soul.  May  God  enable  me  in  faith  to  look  to  him  for  help  in 
all  things. 

"  This  is  the  anniversary  of  my  dear  mother's  death.  I  have  not  dwelt 
much  upon  it,  as  my  mind  has  been  necessarily  occupied  with  the  vessel. 
She  was  a  lovely  character,  and  her  life  was  a  labor  of  love.  How  blessed 
and  happy  she  is  now — how  enviable  her  state  compared  with  mine! 
If  our  friends  who  are  gone  look  down  upon  us,  I  trust  that  her  smiles 
may  encourage  me  in  the  path  of  duty.  I  may  lose  this  vessel  and  lose 
much  of  my  professional  reputation,  or  I  may  succeed  in  taking  slavers, 
and  do  humanity  some  service ;  but,  with  the  exception  of  doing  good 
to  my  fellow-men,  of  how  little  value  is  every  thing  in  this  life.  May 
God  make  me  to  live  near  him  from  love  to  him." 

January  14,  1850. — "Yesterday,  Sunday,  we  had  service,  when  I  read 
a  sermon  by  Rev.  Sydney  Smith  on  '  Self-examination.'  The  day  was 
warm,  but  not  oppressive.  All  was  quiet,  and  I  hope  it  was  a  profitable 
Sunday  for  me.  This  morning,  in  fact  during  the- night,  the  weather  was 
unsettled ;  but  having  seen  so  much  thunder  and  lightning  and  heavy 


92  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

rain  so  near  the  equator,  I  thought  but  little  of  it.  At  eight,  going  on 
deck  in  Lieutenant  Rush's  watch,  I  saw  ahead  a  dark,  ugly  looking  cloud, 
with  the  arch  just  above  the  horizon,  denoting  a  tornado.  By  the  time 
we  could  get  studding-sails  and  all  sail  in  it  struck  us— blew  heavily,  but 
rained  more  so,  with  the  heaviest  peals  of  thunder  and  more  vivid  forks 
of  lightning  than  are  ever  seen  out  of  the  tropics,  away  from  Africa. 
The  weather  prevented  our  taking  observation ;  for  which  we  were  very 
sorry,  as  we  are  so  near  Cape  Ann  Shoals.  Accomplished  nothing  more 
than  looking  out  for  the  vessels." 

January  29, 1850. — "My  views  are  not  carried  out.  While  the  greater 
part  of  the  officers  are  ready  to  sustain  me,  and  do  all  in  their  power  to 
render  the  vessel  effective,  and  all  hands  comfortable  and  happy,  a  few 
are  adverse  and  derange  every  thing ;  and  this,  added  to  the  intolerable 
climate,  makes  the  situation  unenviable.  I  am  determined,  however,  to 
carry  out  my  own  system  where  I  command." 

February  27, 1850. — "Progressing  favorably,  and  much  relieved  in  re 
lation  to  the  passage ;  but  very  anxious  about  the  coast,  as  we  are  in  want 
of  proper  charts,  and  have  to  run  in  close  to  examine  all  places  where 
there  are  slavers." 

April  3, 1850. — "  I  am  quite  ill  with  lumbago  and  fever.  I  write  this 
as  I  may  not  be  able  to  write  any  thing  more,  for  I  feel  that  rny  health  is 
failing  me.  I  have  had  too  much  excitement  of  late ;  but  I  trust  in  God, 
if  it  is  his  will  that  I  die  in  this  foreign  land  or  at  sea.  I  have  tried  to 
act  well  my  part,  but  fear  that  as  a  follower  of  the  Lord  I  have  been  sadly 
remiss ;  still,  I  cling  to  him." 

Aprils,  1850. — "  I  went  out  in  chase  of  a  vessel,  passed  the  Cyclops,  and 
stood  for  an  American  brig ;  fired  two  guns,  not  shotted ;  but  on  kept  the 
trader  till  I  overhauled  and  boarded  him.  He  was  from  New  London, 
loaded  with  Yankee  notions.  The  English  steamer  Pluto  attempted  to 
cut  off  the  chase  for  us,  but  our  boats  had  reached  her.  Thus  we  have 
caught  every  thing  which  we  have  seen." 

May  29, 1850. — "  Some  days  since  my  pains  were  so  excessive  that  I  lit 
erally  gave  up  and  took  to  my  bed.  The  doctor  administered  quinine 
and  blisters.  I  have  obtained  no  relief  for  many  days,  but  I  have  still 


Private  Journal.  93 


exercised  in  bed  the  duties  of  captain.  I  feel  satisfied  that  God  does  for 
us  better  than  we  could  do  for  ourselves.  My  illness  and  disappoint 
ments  have  had  a  good  effect  upon  me  in  a  spiritual  sense." 

June  17, 1850. — "  I  wished  to  remain  in  port  but  four  days ;  and,  going 
into  my  old  business  of  first  lieutenant,  I  had  upward  of  three  thousand 
gallons  of  water  brought  on  board,  ship  painted,  and  rigging  overhauled 
on  the  fourth  day.  Double  the  work  in  half  the  time  was  performed  by  the 
vessel's  officers  and  men,  who  were  reduced  nearly  one  half  on  account  of 
captures,  showing  how  effective  my  system  is  compared  with  the  driving 
system  adopted  by  one  of  the  first  lieutenants.  I  shall  in  future  insist 
upon  my  own  system  being  followed.  The  Martha  produced  quite  a  sen 
sation  here.  Our  men  did  not  taste  a  drop  of  liquor,  but  all  behaved  like 
good  men.  Hon.  Captain  Hastings,  of  the  Cyclops,  called  on  me,  and 
congratulated  me  on  taking  a  big  prize,  and  said :  '  I  am  delighted ;  it  is 
the  heaviest  blow  given  to  the  slave-traders  since  I  have  been  on  the 
coast.'  He  thought  the  moral  effect  upon  Brazilian  and  American  slave- 
traders,  of  my  having  sent  all  hands  to  America,  would  .be  great.  I 
cruised  off  Ambriz  for  a  day  or  two,  and  was  boarded  by  the  captain  of 
H.  M.  steamer  Pluto,  with  whom  I  had  an  hour's  pleasant  chat.  My  health 
is  improving  physically,  and  I  pray  it  may  be  spiritually  also." 

June  28, 1850. — "Employed  in  getting  up  cappings, whipping  haws 
ers,  etc.  Am  contented  and  happy — the  doctor  reading  to  me  Neander. 
Lumbago  worse  than  usual  to-day,  but  health  and  spirits,  thank  God, 
much  better.  All  hands  are  happy,  and  brig  efficient." 

July  23, 1850.—"  On  the  morning  of  the  2d  of  July,  at  half-past  three 
o'clock,  I  was  called  and  informed  that  a  vessel  was  standing  down  for 
us.  I  at  once  sent  word  to  the  officer  of  the  deck  to  clear  away  the  bat 
tery  and  send  the  men  to  the  guns.  While  dressing  I  heard  a  musket 
fire,  and  at  once  ordered  a  return  fire.  The  brig  passed  our  stern,  when 
we  exchanged  names  and  a  few  words  in  a  courteous  manner.  I  felt  as 
if  the  commander  of  the  other  vessel,  having  fired  first  (although  we  re 
turned  it),  ought  to  have  explained  himself;  and,  on  reflection,  concluded 
to  go  after  him  for  the  purpose  of  demanding  an  explanation.  I  proceeded 
to  Benguela,  and  remained  two  days,  and  then  sailed  for  the  Flying  Fish, 
the  name  of  H.  M.  brig  for  which  I  was  in  search.  We  spoke  the  Water 
Witch,  and  were  told  that  she  was  cruising  but  a  short  distance  to  the 

G 


94  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

northward.  Had  our  guns  all  cast  loose  ready  for  firing,  and  cruised  for 
the  vessel  two  or  three  days,  when  I  was  informed  by  the  captain  of  the 
brig  Spy  that  he  had  relieved  the  Flying  Fish,  and  that  she  had  gone 
north  of  the  equator.  I  then  proceeded  to  Ambriz ;  and  supposing  that 
the  Flying  Fish  had  really  gone  north,  I  wrote  the  following  letter  to  her 
captain,  which  I  read  to  Jlon.  Captain  Hastings,  and  requested  him  to  for 
ward  it  to  Captain  Paty : 

" '  SIK, — On  the  morning  of  the  3d  of  July,  as  you  approached  us,  a 
musket  was  fired  from  the  brig  under  your  command,  which  was  returned 
by  a  similar  fire  from  this  vessel. 

' '  I  regarded  the  occurrence  as  a  mistake  on  your  part  arising  from  the 
obscurity  of  the  night,  and  supposed  that  you  would  avail  yourself  of  the 
earliest  opportunity  to  explain  it. 

"  '  Subsequently,  as  the  vessels  passed  each  other,  you  made  no  offer  of 
explanation. 

" '  I  therefore  now  call  upon  you  for  an  apology,  explaining  the  circum 
stances  which  led  to  your  exceptionable  course  toward  a  national  vessel 
of  the  United  States.' 

"  Captain  Hastings  informed  me  that  Captain  Paty  was  cruising  but  a 
short  distance  to  the  northward,  and  I  could  see  him  myself.  He  asked 
me  if  Commander  Paty  fired  after  I  did.  I  told  him  no ;  if  he  had,  I 
would  have  opened  our  battery  upon  him.  I  then  left  Captain  Hastings 
and  cruised  for  the  Flying  Fish  several  days,  and  at  length  fell  in  with 
the  object  of  my  search.  I  sent  the  purser,  Mr.  Watmough,  on  board  to  ask 
an  apology  and  an  explanation,  telling  him  if  it  were  not  promptly  made, 
to  hand  my  letter  to  Commander  Paty.  The  commander,  on  receiving 
Mr.  W.,  at  once  expressed  his  regrets  that  he  had  fired  first,  and  said  he 
would  go  on  board  and  see  Captain  Foote,  which  he  did ;  and  in  my  cabin 
apologized  fully,  and  stated  that  as  we  had  accidentally  come  up  in  the 
wind  and  were  going  round,  he  thought  we  were  trying  to  get  clear  of 
him ;  and,  suspecting  that  we  were  a  slaver,  fired  to  bring  us  to,  and  he 
stopped  when  we  fired.  He  said  all  that  he  could  have  said,  and  fully 
satisfied  me  that  he  regretted  the  affair,  and  was  ready  to  make  any  amend 
in  his  power ;  and  this,  together  with  our  having  returned  his  musket-fire, 
satisfied  me." 

September  28, 1850. — "  One  year  ago  to-day  I  was  ordered  to  the  com 
mand  of  the  Perry.  Much  has  been  endured  and  accomplished.  I  do 
not  regret  having  accepted  the  command ;  still  no  one  can  imagine  what 


Private  Journal. 


I  have  been  through.  In  God  may  my  trust  be  for  guidance ;  and  I 
hope,  if  it  be  his  will,  that  on  the  next  anniversary  I  shall  be  at  home 
with  those  I  most  love." 

July  14, 1851. — "Our  men,  or  at  least  a  large  part  of  them,  wish  to 
have  their  grog  on  account  of  their  bad  treatment  for  hard  service  and 
good  conduct,  and  the  officers  also  are  in  a  great  state  of  excitement  and 
indignation.  In  fact,  if  we  had  done  nothing  we  should  have  fared  bet 
ter.  But  I  am  satisfied  to  go  without  credit,  as  I  did  not  act  on  that  prin 
ciple,  but  a  higher  one. 

"  After  staying  ten  days  at  Porto  Pray  a,  I  took  the  store-keeper  aboard, 
who  was  almost  dead  with  fever,  and  sailed  for  Madeira.  I  ran  through 
the  islands  some  distance,  and  went  near  the  wreck  of  the  YorJctown. 
We  beat  some  six  or  eight  vessels  in  sailing.  I  feel  jaded,  worn  out,  dis 
heartened,  and  truly  'tired,  sad,  and  weary.'  Oh,  I  am  glad  that  nearly 
forty-five  years  of  my  life  have  passed.  God  grant  that  I  may  be  prepared 
for  a  better  world." 

September  17, 1851. — "  I  feel  great  relief  on  the  dark  blue  sea,  away  from 
the  sultry  coast  of  Africa,  its  dangerous  reefs  and  pestilential  vapors." 

October  25, 1851. — "Last  night  at  sunset  saw  nine  islands,  one  of  them 
one  hundred  and  ten  miles  distant.  The  atmosphere  was  perfectly  clear 
— a  rare  phenomenon." 

December  12, 1851. — "  Thus  adieu  to  the  coast  of  Africa.  I  hope  from 
my  heart  to  realize  the  'goodness  of  our  heavenly  Father  in  directing  me 
thus  far  in  my  course  of  duty.  I  shall  never  perhaps  in  life  be  called 
upon  to  act  again  so  responsible  a  part  on  my  own  judgment." 

These  extracts  might  be  multiplied.  In  their  groanings  and 
bitter  cries  they  show  the  man's  inmost  spirit.  They  prove 
him  to  be  jealous  of  his  country's  honor,  but  noble  withal — 

"As  the  flint  bears  fire, 
Which  much  enforced  shows  a  hasty  spark, 
And  straight  is  cold  again." 

They  prove  him  indomitable  in  sickness,  in  weariness,  in  the  in 
competence  and  opposition  of  subordinates,  in  every  difficulty, 


Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 


peril,  and  discouragement.  He  had  a  "  system,"  and  he  carried 
it  out.  He  had  principles,  and  he  stuck  to  them  "  off  sound 
ings."  He  might  have  erred  in  over-zeal,  but  never  in  coward 
ly  laxness.  These  extracts  prove  him  to  be  a  first-rate  seaman 
and  a  most  energetic  commander.  They  prove,  more  than  all, 
that  his  motives  were  high  and  unselfish.  He  loved  the  repu 
tation  of  doing  a  great  deed  ;  he  was  vividly  sensible  to  the 
fame  it  brought,  but  duty  was  deeper  with  him  than  fame  ;  and 
from  the  manner  in  which  he  ever  afterward  spoke  of  and  dwelt 
upon  this  African  service,  it  was  evidently  the  thing  that  gave 
him  most  pleasure  in  life.  He  had  done  some  good.  He  had 
aided  the  cause  of  humanity.  He  had  "  let  the  oppressed 
go  free."  And  however  the  approval  of  his  superiors  in  rank 
caused  him  lively  gratification,  and  however  much  he  enjoyed 
the  public  praise  which  he  had  deservedly  won,  he  cherished 
more  than  all  the  simple  thought  that  he  had  done  his  duty  to 
his  Master,  and  wrought  deliverance  for  his  suffering  poor. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

LITERARY    LABORS. 

THE  beginning  of  the  year  1852  found  Lieutenant  Foote  at 
home  with  his  family  in  New  Haven ;  and  for  a  period  of  more 
than  four  years  he  remained  ashore,  being  the  longest  time  up 
to  that  date  that  he  had  spent  on  land  since  he  had  been  in  the 
service.  It  was  a  time  of  general  inactivity  in  naval  matters, 
disturbed  only  by  a  little  breeze  now  and  then  on  the  fishery 
question,  but  not  enough  to  produce  a  serious  movement  in  the 
way  of  naval  preparation  or  reform.  Congress  had  an  eco 
nomical  fit;  there  was  much  talk  about  reducing  the  Navy, 
naval  boards  and  bureaus  were  cut  down,  salaries  of  officers 
were  discussed,  and  promotion  was  slow.  Under  these  circum 
stances  the  active  mind  of  Foote  sought  employment  in  writ 
ing,  and  in  lecturing  to  public  bodies  upon  temperance  and 
kindred  themes.  His  old  friend  Commodore  Smith  thus  writes 
to  him :  "  I  congratulate  you  on  your  success  in  your  lecture. 
Being  perfectly  familiar  with  the  subject,  your  genius  had  full 
scope.  No  doubt  while  on  the  way  you  made  good  prepara 
tion  for  the  meeting ;  in  traveling  one  has  time  to  charge  his 
battery  for  the  occasion.  You  could  tell  the  old'  Jacks  how 
the  high  officials  who  legislate  for  them  are  disposed  to  kill 
King  Alcohol."  The  following  is  the  newspaper  report  of  this, 
or  of  a  similar  lecture : 

"  Captain  A.  H.  Foote,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  apologized  for  his 
lack  of  preparation  for  speaking. 

"  He  sketched  the  character  of  seamen  in  the  Navy,  as  affected  by  various 
causes  under  his  own  observation.  He  remembered  when  every  seaman 
was  allowed  a  half-pint  of  whisky,  and  he  himself  proposed  the  reduc- 


9 8  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

tion  of  the  allowance  to  one  gill,  which  was  at  last  effected,  and  money 
being  paid  in  place  of  grog  to  such  as  did  not  draw  it,  the  amount  con 
sumed  became  much  reduced.  The  greatest  barrier  to  the  improvement 
of  the  moral  and  spiritual  condition  of  the  sailor  was  intemperance. 
That  sailors  would  not  work  without  their  grog  was  a  great  mistake. 
He  had  had  command  in  ten  vessels  of  war :  for  the  first  six  there 
were  no  religious  services,  and  they  had  the  '  liquor-rations ;'  in  the  re 
mainder  they  had  religious  services,  and  in  two  of  them  every  man  had 
voluntarily  given  up  his  rations  of  spirits.  There  were  not  better  or 
ganized  or  more  orderly  and  efficient  crews  on  the  ocean.  He  regretted 
that  while  merchantmen  were  doing  away  with  the  grog  allowance,  our 
government  continues  to  deal  out  intoxicating  drinks  to  sailors  in  its  em 
ploy,  and  he  called  upon  the  press  to  present  the  condition  of  affairs  in 
the  strongest  light  possible." 

The  following  is  also  a  newspaper  report  of  a  lecture  he 
delivered  before  the  American  Colonization  Society : 

"  Captain  Foote  of  the  United  States  Navy  then  addressed  the  audience  at 
length,  stating  what  he  knew  of  Liberia,  from  having  visited  it  and  spent 
considerable  time  there  and  on  the  coast  of  Africa.  He  spoke  highly  of 
President  Koberts,  and  said  that  when  he  was  in  Washington  the  President 
asked  him  how  President  Roberts  succeeded ;  and  he  was  about  to  say, 
in  reply,  as  well  as  any  president ;  but  he  thought  that  would  institute 
too  direct  a  comparison,  and  he  therefore  said  as  well  as  governors  gen 
erally.  The  trade  of  Liberia  amounts  to  half  a  million  annually.  No 
white  man  is  eligible  to  office  there.  Iron  ore  is  found  at  a  distance  of 
twenty  miles  from  the  coast  in  abundance,  which  is  malleable  without 
smelting.  The  climate  is  healthy  for  blacks,  and  the  state  of  morals  such 
that  on  one  occasion,  a  short  time  since,  while  walking  home  from  church 
in  the  city  of  New  Haven  in  company  with  a  gentleman  who  had  spent 
some  time  in  Liberia,  his  friend  remarked  that  he  knew  no  place  where 
the  Sabbath  was  so  well  observed  as  it  was  in  New  Haven,  except  at 
Monrovia,  in  Liberia.  He  visited  President  Roberts  often,  and  had  seen 
the  whole  people  in  their  various  avocations,  and  he  was  struck  with  the 
great  change  which  they  exhibit  for  the  better.  There  is  no  person  whom 
he  would  more  cordially  welcome  to  his  hospitality  and  home  than  Pres 
ident  Roberts.  He  spoke  of  the  interest  Great  Britain  had  taken  in  the 
colony,  and  of  the  fact  that  its  independence  has  been  acknowledged  by 
her  as  well  as  by  France,  Prussia,  and  Brazil,  while  we  refuse  still  to  ac- 


Christian  Missions.  99 

knowledge  it.  He  thought  that  the  squadrons  which  our  government 
kept  on  the  coast  had  done  much  good,  and  should  be  continued  there. 
Colonization  had  destroyed  the  slave-trade  for  five  hundred  miles.  The 
English  are  acting  in  good  faith  in  keeping  their  squadrons  on  the  coast. 
Colonization  and  the  keeping  of  an  efficient  coasting  squadron  must  go 
together,  in  order  to  sustain  Liberia  and  suppress  the  African  slave- 
trade." 

From  a  more  elaborately  written  lecture  upon  Christian 
missions  delivered  during  this  period,  this  extract  is  taken  : 
"  Such  are  the  grounds,  my  friends,  upon  which  I  expressed 
the  opinion  that  in  a  few  years  the  Christian  religion  would 
rise  upon  the  view  of  the  heathen  mind  in  India;  and  such 
also  was  the  impression  conveyed  to  me  by  the  governor-gen 
eral  and  several  other  officers  of  high  intelligence."  When  we 
read  the  accounts  of  the  progress  of  Christianity  in  India,  and 
the  enlarged  and  hopeful  operations  of  Christian  missions  in 
that  vast  peninsula ;  and  when  we  read,  too,  the  words  and 
doings  of  the  disciples  of  the  Brahmo  Somaj,  although  their 
faith  lacks  the  divine  light,  we  feel  that  the  prophecy  of  this 
earnest  lover  of  Christ  was  not  groundless,  but  that  Christian 
ideas  are  penetrating  the  deepest  thought  of  India,  and  that 
the  popular  heart  must  soon  follow  the  lead  of  the  higher  in 
telligence.  Captain  Foote  was  true  to  the  cause  of  Christian 
missions,  although  he  had  seen  their  imperfections  and  dis 
couragements,  and  was  by  no  means  backward  in  expressing 
his  criticisms;  but  he  cast  the  whole  weight  of  his  influence 
in  favor  of  this  work,  and  the  single-minded,  faithful  mission 
ary  of  the  Cross  always  knew  where  to  look,  while  he  was  liv 
ing,  for  a  strong  friend  and  champion  of  the  good  cause. 

During  this  period  of  home  life  Captain  Foote  wrote  the 
book  to  which  reference  has  been  made,  entitled  "Africa  and 
the  American  Flag."*  This  volume  was  dedicated  to  his  true 

*  Published  by  the  Appletons  of  New  York  in  1854. 


ioo  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

and  loving  friend  Commodore  Smith,  who  acknowledged  the 
compliment  in  the  following  note : 

"BUREAU  OF  YARDS  AND  DOCKS,  May  13,  1854. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — I  received  your  book  two  days  since,  and  was  sensi 
bly  struck  with  the  Dedication,  which  I  had  not  anticipated.  For  this 
modest  but  kind  manifestation  of  your  friendship  and  regard  for  me,  ac 
cept  my  unfeigned  acknowledgments. 

"  I  have  but  cursorily  run  through  the  book.  I  pronounce  it  to  be  ex 
cellent  in  matter  and  arrangement.  This  to  me  will  place  you  in  high 
standing  both  in  and  out  of  the  Navy.  My  kindest  regards  to  your 
household.  I  am  very  truly  yours,  JOSEPH  SMITH. 

"  Commander  A.  H.  Foote,  U.  S.  Navy,  \ 
Naval  Asylum,  Philadelphia,  Pa."  \ 

Commodore  Smith's  estimate  of  the  work  is  in  the  main 
well  sustained  by  the  book  itself.  Although  Captain  Foote's 
forte  was  not  writing,  but  fighting,  he  succeeded  in  making  a 
clearly  methodized  and  valuable  book,  that  interweaves  in  a 
quiet  way  the  narrative  of  his  own  achievements  on  the  Afri 
can  coast  with  much  that  is  of  general  interest  respecting 
Africa  and  the  slave-trade,  and  that  has  been  cited  as  authority 
from  the  bench  of  United  States  Courts.  The  following  are 
some  brief  extracts  from  the  many  criticisms  and  encomiums 
which  the  book  brought  forth  from  the  press,  and  which  are 
here  introduced  as  bearing  testimony  to  the  public  estimation 
in  which  the  author  was  held  at  that  time ; 

"  The  work  is  written  in  excellent  spirit,  and  in  an  unpretending  style 
that  does  much  credit  to  the  author's  good  taste,  while  the  religious  re 
gard  for  truth,  and  the  liberality  of  sentiment  manifest  in  every  chapter, 
win  the  reader's  confidence  and  esteem.  A  considerable  portion  of  the 
volume  is  devoted  to  an  account  of  the  operations  of  the  American  Col 
onization  Society,  and  all  who  take  an  interest  in  the  colonization  cause 
will  derive  satisfaction  from  the  strongly  favorable  testimony  which 
Commander  Foote  bears  to  the  condition  of  Liberia  as  a  nation."* 

*  N.  T.  Commercial  Advertise)'. 


"Africa  and  the  American  Flag?  101 

"  The  speculations  of  the  author  regarding  the  future  of  Africa  are  more 
cheering  than  those  we  are  accustomed  to  hear,  and  as  they  are  based  on 
positive  facts  and  investigations,  they  are  not  merely  prophecies  of  a 
philanthropic  heart,  but  conclusions  of  a  logical  mind."* 

"  The  American  people  may  well  be  proud  of  their  naval  officers.  Such 
men  as  Ingraham,  Maury,  Kane,  Lynch,  Foote,  and  others  who  might  be 
named,  confer  honor  upon  the  flag  under  which  they  sail,  and  which 
their  gallantry  is  ever  ready  to  protect.  "While  looking  after  the  interests 
of  commerce,  they  have  proved  themselves  awake  to  the  interests  of  hu 
manity  ;  and  while  familiar  with  the  arts  of  war,  they  have  shown  them 
selves  equally  familiar  with  the  sciences  by  which  the  horrors  of  war  may 
be  mitigated  or  prevented."! 

"  The  ethnographical  chapter  in  this  work  is  worth  the  books  of  some 
authors  we  might  name.  The  poor  despised  Bushman,  forming  to  himself 
with  sticks  and  grass  a  lair  among  the  low-spreading  branches  of  a  shrub, 
or  nestling  at  sunset  in  a  shallow  hole  amid  the  warm  sands  of  the  des 
ert,  with  wife  and  little  ones,  like  a  covey  of  birds,  sheltered  by  some 
ragged  sheepskins  from  the  dew  of  the  clear  sky,  has  an  ancestral  and 
mental  relationship  to  the  builders  ot  the  pyramids  and  the  colossal  tem 
ples  of  Egypt,  and  to  the  artists  who  adorned  them."J 

"  It  contains,  in  a  compendious  shape,  a  complete  account  of  the  conti 
nent  of  Africa  in  all  its  relations  to  the  United  States,  physical,  commer 
cial,  political,  and  religious.  The  account  of  the  active  cruise  in  which 
Commander  Foote  was  engaged  for  two  years  is  full  and  circumstantial 
— too  much  so,  perhaps,  for  one  who  reads  merely  for  amusement,  but 
very  satisfactory  to  one  who  wishes  to  get  complete  and  reliable  informa 
tion  on  the  important  question  touching  the  value  of  our  African  squadron. 
The  book  has  been  published  in  an  evil  hour  for  those  who  are  design 
ing,  whether  by  a  cowardly  connivance  or  by  open  and  direct  sanction, 
to  revive  the  African  slave-trade ;  but  most  opportunely  for  the  cause  of 
justice  and  philanthropy,  and  (we  intend  no  irony)  national  honor  and 
faith.  We  agree  with  most  of  the  criticisms  upon  the  book  which  we 
have  seen  in  commending  its  literary  execution.  Commander  Foote's 
style  has  a  sailor-like  simplicity,  but  is  wanting  neither  in  elegance  nor 

*  Graham'1  s  Magazine.  t  Philadelphia  Presbyterian  Banner. 

I  N.  T.  Independent. 


IO2  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

liveliness.     Some  of  his  descriptions,  indeed,  are  full  of  humor  and  quiet 
satire."* 

Lieutenant  W.  B.  S.  Porter,  U.  S.  K,  thus  writes  in  a  pri 
vate  letter : 

"  I  am  surprised  at  the  amount  of  information  contained  in  so  small  a 
compass,  which  at  the  same  time  forms  a  complete  exposition  of  the  de 
vices  of  the  slave-trader  for  conducting  the  traffic  and  escaping  the  vig 
ilance  of  our  cruisers.  If  taken  as  a  guide,  it  will  relieve  our  command 
ers  of  many  difficulties  in  their  intercourse  with  suspected  vessels  under 
the  American  flag.  The  difficulty  which  our  officers  had  was  to  interpret 
their  instructions,  which  seemed  contradictory ;  but  in  your  work  they  have 
the  true  spirit  and  the  practical  illustration  of  the  conduct  to  be  pursued." 

Commander  Davis,  U.  S.  N.,  writes : 

"  To  have  brought  out  such  a  result  from  an  African  cruise,  from  which 
so  many  bring  nothing,  is  a  proof  that  your  thoughts  and  sympathies  are 
expanded  far  beyond  the  narrow  sphere  of  ship  duties — it  is  proof  of  an 
enlarged  comprehension  and  an  elevated  spirit.  Our  old  friendship  gives 
me  the  right  to  praise  you  without  the  suspicion  of  flattery." 

A  letter  from  the  Rev.  Geo.  W.  Bethune  and  a  notice  from 
the  London  Spectator  are  all  we  will  add  to  these  extracts. 
Dr.  Bethune  says : 

"  Your  notice  of  Buchananf  is  a  just  tribute  to  his  worth.  I  knew  him 
well — better  than  any  one  else  knew  him — and  he  has  never  yet  received 
an  estimation  sufficiently  high  for  a  combination  of  admirable  qualities 
mingled  with  but  few  faults.  You  have  correctly  estimated  the  diffi 
culty  and  danger  of  his  acting  against  the  slavers,  as  he  did  without 
legal  or  any  authority,  and  when  he  was  liable  to  extreme  prosecution 
before  any  admiralty  court.  The  last  night  I  saw  Buchanan  he  bade  me 
farewell  at  midnight.  He  came,  he  said,  to  state  his  difficulty  and  ask 
my  advice,  which  he  said  he  was  determined  to  follow,  as  to  his  assum 
ing  or  not  the  responsibility  of  seizing  and  punishing  slavers.  My  answer 
was,  '  Buchanan,  authority  or  no  authority,  if  you  find  a  slaver  on  land- 
or  on  sea,  Now  Mm  sky  JiigJiT 

*  The  New-Englander. 

t  Buchanan  was  one  of  the  black  founders  and  presidents  of  the  colony 
of  Liberia. 


"Africa  and  the  American  Flag"  103 

"  He  grasped  my  hand,  looked  me  steadily  in  the  face  for  at  least  a 
minute,  and  then,  without  a  word,  left  me.  I  never  saw  him  again ;  but 
among  the  earliest  letters  I  had  from  him  was  one  inclosing  an  account 
of  the  battle  of  the  barracoons,  and  these  words,  '  Dear  Dominie,  I  have 
blown  him  sky  high.' 

"  I  thank  you  again  for  your  capital  book,  which  is,  I  trust,  design 
ed  for  great  usefulness." 

The  opening  and  concluding  paragraphs  of  the  critical  arti 
cle  from  the  London  Spectator  are  these : 

"  This  quaint-looking  title  indicates  the  contents  of  the  volume  exact 
ly.  The  book  contains  a  geographical  and  historical  sketch  of  Africa,  or 
rather  of  Negroland,  and  an  account  of  the  doings  of  the  American 
squadron  on  the  slave-coast.  It  is  the  result  of  much  African  experi 
ence,  w'hich  infuses  into  the  volume  living  knowledge,  definite  ideas,  and 
a  certain  degree  of  vigor.  *  *  * 

"  Captain  Foote  lays  it  down  broadly  that  unless  the  American  squad 
ron  is  efficiently  kept  up,  the  slave-trade  will  become  as  active  as  ever 
under  the  American  flag.  The  best  mode  of  proceeding  is  for  a  British  and 
an  American  ship  to  sail  together,  so  as  always  to  be  within  easy  commu 
nication.  In  this  way  every  thing  can  be  overhauled :  the  American  tak 
ing  vessels  sailing  under  the  American  flag,  the  British  those  of  her  own 
or  any  other  nation  with  which  she  has  right-of-search  treaties ;  for  the 
Americans  only  meddle  with  their  own  people.  Indications  frequently 
turn  up  of  the  delicacy  required  in  dealing  with  American  vessels,  from  the 
difficulties  springing  from  the  techiness  of  their  naval  officers,  and  the 
over-zeal  of  British  officers,  not  always  free  from  a  desire  to  make  prizes." 

It  is  not  necessary  to  speak  further  in  detail  of  the  book  it 
self,  but  only  to  say  that,  with  some  faults  of  repetition  and  of 
ambitiousness  of  style,  and  here  and  there  of  an  appearance  of 
its  having  been  compiled  rather  than  created,  it  is  work  well 
done — surprisingly  well  done — considering  that  its  author  had 
studied  ships  and  gunnery  more  than  making  books ;  and  it  is 
a  genuine  and  manly  contribution  to  the  literature  of  an  im 
portant  subject  from  personal  observation  ;  and  when  the 
names  of  those  who  have  thought  and  suffered  for  Africa 
shall  be  gathered  into  a  bright  crown,  the  name  of  Andrew 
Hull  Foote  will  not  be  forgotten. 


IO4  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

We  also  find  Commander  Foote,  in  January,  1855,  deliver 
ing  an  address  upon  the  "Ashburton  Treaty"  and  "Consular 
Sea-letters,"  which  was  afterward  published  in  pamphlet  form, 
and  which  gained  him  much  credit  as  a  brief,  forcible,'  and 
pointed  argument  setting  forth  and  sustaining  these  proposi 
tions  :  1st.  That  our  consuls  abroad  should  not  be  allowed  to 
give  sea-letters,  as  they  are  called,  to  American  vessels  sold 
abroad,  when  such  vessels  are  bound  to  Africa,  2d.  That  the 
expense  of  our  African  squadron  is  not  nearly  so  large  as  has 
been  commonly  represented.  3d.  That  most  beneficial  results 
may  be  expected  from  a  cordial  co-operation  between  our  own 
and  British  cruisers  for  the  suppression  of  the  slave-trade,  and 
that  in  no  other  way  can  the  disgraceful  abuse  of  the  American 
Hag  be  suppressed.  4th.  That  if  any  change  in  the  Ashburton 
Treaty  is  to  be  made,  it  should  be  to  alter  the  terms,  so  that  in 
stead  of  a  stipulated  number  of  guns  to  be  kept  by  us  upon  that 
coast,  we  should  employ  a  number  of  small  steamers,  as  being 
much  better  adapted  to  that  service ;  but  that  in  any  case,  treaty 
or  no  treaty,  a  hearty  co-operation  with  the  British  squadron  is 
all  important. 

It  is  needful  that  a  word  should  be  said  in  regard  to  the  offi 
cial  rank  and  special  professional  services  of  Captain  Foote 
during  this  four  years'  period  of  life  ashore,  which  interval 
appears  to  have  been  by  no  means  uselessly  spent  when  viewed 
in  a  purely  professional  light.  In  December  (19)  of  1852 
Lieutenant  Foote  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  commander; 
and  in  the  year  1854  (March  9)  he  was  ordered  to  the  Naval 
Asylum  in  Philadelphia  as  executive  officer  under  Commodore 
Storer,  governor  of  the  asylum,  where  he  remained  for  fifteen 
months ;  and  he  is  said  to  have  introduced  some  valuable  re 
forms  in  the  practical  working  and  discipline  of  the  institu 
tion.  In  1855  (June  20)  he  was  appointed  to  a  membership  of 
the  "Naval  Efficiency  Board"  at  Washington,  under  Act  of 
February  28th,  1855,  together  with  Shubrick,  Perry,  McCow- 


Reminiscence  of  Hon.  J.  A.  Foote.  105 

ley,  Stribling,  Bigelow,  Pendergrast,  Missroon,  Buchanan,  Du- 
pont,  Ban-on,  Godon,  Page,  W.  L.  Maury,  and  Biddle.  He  at 
tended  to  the  duties  of  that  office  until  he  took  command  of 
the  Portsmouth.  During  all  this  time  his  correspondence  in 
dicates  a  desire  for  sea-service,  although  there  is  abundant 
proof  of  his  activity  for  good  in  the  more  quiet  positions 
which  for  a  time  he  then  occupied. 

Hon.  John  A.  Foote  relates  that  he  once  rather  unexpectedly 
visited  his  brother  while  he  was  stationed  at  the  Naval  Asylum 
in  Philadelphia.  He  was  told  by  the  sentinel  that  at  that  hour 
Commander  Foote  was  at  his  regular  weekly  religious  meet 
ing.  Before  reaching  the  door  of  the  apartment,  he  caught 
the  voice  of  the  speaker,  and  listened  outside  to  hear  what  he 
was  saying.  He  was  speaking  plainly  and  earnestly  of  the  pe 
culiar  temptations  of  the  sailor,  and  telling  his  audience  that 
he  himself  was  as  a  brand  plucked  from  the  burning ;  but  that 
happily  there  was  room  and  time  for  repentance  given  to  all, 
and  that  they  who  were  now  in  this  snug  harbor  had  a  most 
favorable  opportunity  for  reformation.  He  closed  his  remarks 
with  a  fervent  prayer.  After  the  meeting,  John  walked  into 
the  room,  and  received  from  his  brother  a  friendly  but  pretty 
severe  blow  for  not  letting  himself  be  known,  and  was  im 
mediately  introduced  by  the  commander  to  the  old  tars  as 
his  brother  from  Ohio,  who  would  deliver  a  temperance  ad 
dress  to  them  that  evening,  to  which  superimposed  appoint 
ment  he  was  rigidly  held. 

During  all  this  comparatively  long  period  of  his  stay  on 
shore,  Foote  was  not  unobservant  of  public  affairs,  especially 
those  that  related  to  his  own  department,  as  may  be  seen  from 
a  strong  letter  addressed  by  him  in  the  winter  of  1855  to 
Senators  Seward,  Clayton,  Chase,  and  Sumner  in  regard  to  the 
"  Navy  Efficiency  Bill,"  protesting  against  this  important  meas 
ure's  being  killed  by  amendments,  and  urging  public  men  to 
their  duty  in  this  regard. 


CHAPTER  X. 

CRUISE    OF   THE  "  PORTSMOUTH "    AND    TAKING    OF    THE  "BARRIER 

FORTS." 

COMMANDER  FOOTE  received  his  appointment  to  the  Ports 
mouth — ordered  to  the  East  India  station  to  join  Commodore 
Armstrong's  fleet — April  5,  1856.  He  was  already  tired  of 
life  on  shore,  and  longed  to  see  blue  water  again.  He  had 
applied  for  a  Mediterranean  station,  but,  fortunately  for  his 
naval  reputation,  a  cruise  involving  more  responsibility  and 
more  arduous  professional  service  was  now  opened  to  him. 

The  sloop-of-war  Portsmouth  was  one  of  the  finest  vessels 
at  that  time  in  the  American  Navy.  She  was  a  ship  of  splen 
did  qualities,  a  very  fast  sailer,  and  with  a  new  and  heavy 
battery. 

In  this  "battery"  of  the  Portsmouth,  Dahlgren,  who  had 
already  developed  his  talent  for  scientific  gunnery,  felt  a  spe 
cial  pride ;  and  we  forestall  the  order  of  events  a  little  to  insert 
here  a  long  letter  addressed  to  Foote  by  Dahlgren  upon  the 
subject  of  ordnance,  which,  to  professional  men  at  least,  will 
prove  interesting : 

"ORDNANCE  OFFICE, WASHINGTON,  January  8,1857. 

"  MY  DEAK  FOOTE, — Your  letter  from  Hong-Kong  came  to  me  in  good 
season,  and  I  was  much  pleased  to  hear  that  you  made  the  trip  out  so 
satisfactorily.  I  had  previously  seen  your  letters  to  the  commodore  and 
to  the  bureaus.  From  all,  I  infer  that  the  new  battery  was  so  far  an  im 
provement  as  to  locate  the  burden  most  favorably ;  for  no  ship,  not  even 
a  clipper,  could  bowl  off  ten,  eleven,  twelve  knots  for  days  in  succession, 
and  reach  even  fourteen  and  a  half,  unless  the  weights  she  carried  were 
right  in  quantity  and  place.  The  complaining  of  the  decks  only  proves 
that  service  and  time  had  unfitted  it  for  bearing  the  burden  in  guns 


Letter  from  J.  A.  Dahlgren.  107 

which  it  had  always  carried  to  this  time ;  and  if  renewed,  as  it  should 
have  been,  would  not  have  complained.  The  other  inconveniences  are 
not  so  readily  disposed  of,  for  I  fear  the  length  of  the  gun  is  too  much 
for  the  width  of  deck,  particularly  in  the  gangways,  where  boats  and 
spars 'are  stowed.  One  foot  between  muzzle  and  side  is  necessary  for  a 
convenient  recoil,  and  eighteen  inches  would  be  better  still ;  for  the  ac 
tivity  of  the  piece  has  been  inconveniently  increased  by  the  use  of 
lignurn-vitae  trucks  in  lieu  of  ordinary  ones ;  it  may  yet  be  requisite  to 
come  to  the  shorter  8-inch  (of  55  cwt.).  The  power  of  the  battery  is, 
however,  unquestioned,  and  with  a  fair  chance  for  the  ship's  fine  sailing, 
she  would  be  an  ugly  customer  for  many  larger  ships.  The  results  with 
the  new  ships  are  entirely  satisfactory  as  regards  the  ordnance.  The 
Merrimack  was  well  overhauled  in  England,  and  all  accounts,  private  and 
public,  concur  that  the  guns  made  much  impression.  Jones,  who  you 
know  is  a  competent  witness,  says  they  '  were  particularly  admired,  the 
naval  and  military  men  admitting  that  they  were  constructed  on  proper 
principles.'  '  Somehow  or  other  it  became  known  that  I  knew  some 
thing  of  them,  and  repeated  applications  were  made  for  their  dimen 
sions,  etc.'  The  Chief  of  Bureau  also  showed  me  a  letter  from  Sir  How 
ard  Douglas  asking  information  of  them.  The  Navy  Department  has 
finally  recognized  my  service  in  the  matter,  and  in  terms  which  are  as 
complimentary  as  any  one  could  desire.  Still  I  have  had  to  wait  for 
many  weary  years,  and  when  the  Merrimack  left  the  United  States,  it  was 
not  known  beyond  oflicial  circles  that  I  had  any  particular  concern  in 
her  battery ;  so  that  I  am  not  chargeable  with  having  obtruded  myself 
on  the  public  attention.  Jones  tells  me  that  he  had  'conversed  with 
many  of  the  ofiicers  who  served  actively  in  the  late  war,  all  of  whom  ex 
press  themselves  very  decidedly  in  favor  of  heavy  calibres,  though  they 
differ  as  to  the  relative  value  of  shot  and  shell.  I  should  judge,  howev 
er,  from  the  changes  now  taking  place,  that  the  shells  are  gaining  favor ; 
for  instance,  the  Princess  Royal  was  just  recommissioned,  having  been 
paid  off  only  a  few  days  before,  and  her  entire  gun-deck  battery  is  now 
composed  of  eight  65-pounder  guns.'  Before  there  were  32-pounders  on 
that  deck.  There  is,  moreover,  a  marked  sentiment  growing  up  in  En 
gland  favorable  to  heavy  guns,  and  a  disposition  to  rival  us.  In  the  Ex 
cellent,  Jones  saw  a  long  68-pounder,  of  95  cwt.,  mounted  on  a  broadside 
carriage.  '  Eighteen  men  worked  it  with  as  much  ease  as  the  crews  of  the 
other  guns  worked  theirs.'  He  adds, '  Captain  Peel,  of  the  Shannon  (their 
new  crack  frigate),  told  me  that  he  had  applied  to  have  his  main-deck 


io8  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

battery  of  8-inch  changed  for  them  (68-pounders,  of  95  cwt.),  gun 
for  gun.'  That  is  going  it  heavy,  and  rather  bluffs  the  notion  of  some 
of  our  own  officers,  who  opposed  even  9-inch  guns,  on  the  ground 
that  they  were  too  heavy,  and  stick  to  it  still,  though  they  weigh  9000 
pounds,  and  the  English  68-pounder  weighs  10,600  pounds.  'Prove 
all  things,  and  hold  fast  that  which  is  good,'  says  the  Book.  Mr.  Bull 
is  stirred,  however,  as  one  would  judge,  when  our  officers  saw  a  gun 
manned  in  the  Excellent  by  lieutenants ;  their  zeal  must  be  rampant.  The 
spirit  of  inquiry  is  clearly  abroad,  and  we  frequently  meet  persons  sent 
here  by  other  governments  to  take  note  of  our  progress.  Lately  I  have 
been  visited  by  a  scientific  officer  from  France  and  two  from  Russia,  be 
sides  a  commission  from  England  previously,  and  officers  from  Sweden, 
etc.  These  chaps  ask  to  see  every  thing  without  apology,  while  they  are 
precious  particular  to  show  nothing  to  those  (few  enough)  whom  we  send. 
Indeed,  it  is  said  that  the  French  Minister  of  War  was  rude  to  our  com 
mission. 

"  The  Merrimack  was  five  weeks  at  Portsmouth,  ten  days  at  Brest,  two 
weeks  at  Lisbon,  and  at  the  last  accounts  had  reached  Cadiz,  whence  she 
will  come  back  by  way  of  the  West  Indies.  The  Wdbash  gets  along  well. 
She  has  taken  a  relief  to  the  St.  Mary's,  at  the  Isthmus,  and  will  soon  be 
in  the  United  States  with  the  old  crew.  I  am  told  she  is  fast  under  sail. 
The  other  ships  are  gradually  being  prepared  for  sea,  and  the  Secretary 
told  me  that  he  would  send  one  to  the  Pacific.  Hudson  is  to  command 
the  Niagara,  with  Pennock  as  first ;  but  the  ship  will  hardly  be  ready 
before  April — the  steam  is  behindhand.  The  French  constructor  who 
was  here  had  examined  her  closely,  and  told  me  that  he  considered  her 
strength  ample.  Our  constructors  say  not.  I  wonder  who  is  right  ?  The 
death  of  Mr.  Steers  was  most  deplorable ;  a  brief  moment  sealed  his  plans 
and  his  hopes  here  forever. 

The  Niagara  is  now  in  dock  to  receive  the  propeller,  and  has  been  all 
in  order  for  some  months.  I  confess  she  pleases  my  eye,  though  officers 
generally  are  averse  to  her  entirely.  The  difference  comes  of  taking  a 
different  view  of  the  subject.  I  agree  that  she  requires  much  to  perfect 
her  as  a  man-of-war,  and  no  one  officer  of  the  Navy  did  more  than  my 
self  to  remedy  the  deficiency  of  the  battery,  and  the  result  was  only  pre 
vented  by  the  fact  that  the  original  plan  had  been  too  far  carried  out  to 
introduce  an  armament  on  the  gun-deck.  But  I  go  beyond  the  short 
comings  of  the  Niagara  herself,  in  order  to  consider  how  far  her  unques 
tioned  merits  can  be  turned  to  account  in  building  other  ships.  Present 


Letter  from  J.  A.  Dahlgren.  109 

notions  do  really  proceed  on  the  basis  that  clipper  lines  and  clipper  speed 
are  incompatible  with  the  carrying  of  a  heavy  battery.  I  have  believed 
otherwise,  with  the  proviso  that  the  ends  be  not  loaded  with  guns  or 
other  freight.  Now  if  the  Niagara  have  the  speed  her  builder  claimed, 
and  will  preserve  her  form  as  well  as  other  ships,  the  main  point  is  set 
tled,  and  any  carpenter  can  raise  her  gun-deck  and  pierce  ports  when 
the  course  of  service  takes  the  repair  so  low.  With  thirty  9 -inch 
guns  below,  and  the  twelve  11-inch  above,  she  will  have  a  broadside  of 
2000  pounds— nearly  equal  in  weight,  and  superior  in  all  else  to  any 
three-decker  in  the  British  Navy.  It  is,  indeed,  to  be  regretted  that  the 
stiif-neckedness  of  Navy  constructors  have  forced  us  outside  to  solve  the 
problem;  but  so  it  is,  and  officers  must  take  a  comprehensive  view  of 
the  subject,  and  not  admire  the  Niagara  for  her  single  deck  of  heavy 
guns,  nor  condemn  her  for  the  want  of  the  lower  tier.  The  true  question 
is  elsewhere ;  and  had  Steers  lived,  no  one  would  have  taken  the  lesson 
more  aptly,  for  the  man  whose  second  sailing-ship  was  the  Niagara  must 
have  been  of  no  ordinary  stamp. 

"  I  have  now  to  tell  you  somewhat  of  the  Plymouth.  In  course  of  last 
summer  the  Secretary  decided  to  assign  her  to  me  as  an  ordnance  ship, 
and  she  came  up  here  in  October  as  soon  as  the  midshipmen  were  land 
ed.  I  am  to  have  a  fair  sweep,  and  have  begun.  The  light  deck  is 
to  remain,  and  the  new  battery  is  to  be  four  9-inch  guns  and  one  of 
11  inches  on  pivot,  giving  a  broadside  of  279  pounds,  or  one  fourth 
less  than  before  in  weight  thrown,  but  much  superior  in  all  else.  The 
third,  fifth,  and  eighth  ports  are  occupied,  which  removes  the  weight 
of  four  32-pounders  forward,  and  of  six  abaft.  Weight  of  guns  and  car 
riages  thirty  tons,  or  just  one  half  that  formerly  carried.  Now  if  the  in 
novations  of  the  Portsmouth  have  stirred  the  waters,  what  may  be  said  of 
the  Plymouth  ?  It  has  to  go  for  all  that.  As  things  now  look,  it  will  be 
May  before  I  get  into  the  broad  Atlantic,  and  then — good  luck,  I  hope. 
The  folks  are  puzzled,  probably,  that  a  man  with  a  snug  berth  should 
insist  on  pushing  out  to  sea,  when  he  is  not  asked  to  do  so.  Even  the 
Chief  of  Bureau  thinks  the  anchors  ought  to  be  down ;  but  I  would  never 
be  content  to  aim  below  the  mark,  and  if  I  am  to  manage  the  craft  she 
must  take  her  tour  of  sea  duty.  Then  I  am  asked,  '  Well,  what  are  you 
going  to  do  ?'  To  which  the  answer  is,  *  I  will  tell  you  when  I  come  in.' 
I  wish  you  were  nearer — within  visiting  distance;  but  I  shall  not  cross 
the  line.  *  *  *  The  Senate  bill  to  overhaul  the  retired  list  has  been  re 
ported  by  the  House  Committee  unaltered,  but  will  have  a  hard  fight  to 

H 


no  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

get  through.  Tom  Turner  is  woefully  exercised,  and  wrote  to  me  to  stop 
it  right  off,  instead  of  voyaging  this  way  and  stopping  it  himself.  Very 
easy  to  encourage  others,  as  was  done  before  at  long  range.  Let  each 
man  take  his  trick,  and  Jupiter  may  help  the  concern. 

"January  13.— Well,  the  bill  was  taken  up  yesterday,  and  so  far  from 
a  hard  fight,  as  I  expected,  it  passed  off-hand  by  a  vote  of  three  to  one. 
Its  details  I  am  not  acquainted  with,  but  I  believe  it  offers  a  court  of  in 
quiry  to  any  of  the  retired  who  may  apply.  Whatever  may  be  thought 
of  the  Efficiency  Bill  itself,  or  of  its  amendment,  there  can  be  little  doubt 
that  Congress  is  entirely  unfit  to  deal  with  the  question.  First  they  in 
sisted  on  a  most  extreme  clause  (that  of  dropping)  as  a  sine  qua  non,  and 
now  they  wheel  right  about  and  eat  dirt,  as  the  Turk  says.  The  final 
effect,  as  matters  now  stand,  will  be  the  gain  for  the  nonce  of  those  who 
have  actually  fingered  the  parchment ;  those  who  have  not,  may  hug  the 
hope  of  some  future  reform. 

"  The  disposition  of  ships  in  our  own  waters,  or  soon  to  return,  are : 
Merrimack,  on  the  way  home  from  Cadiz  through  the  West  Indies ;  Wa- 
~bash,  just  in  New  York  from  the  Isthmus — flag-ship  of  home  squadron ; 
Roanoke,  nearly  ready  for  sea ;  Colorado,  about  the  summer ;  Niagara,  in 
the  spring ;  Minnesota,  went  to  Philadelphia  by  her  own  steam,  to  be 
coppered  —  not  to  go  to  sea  till  after  the  others;  Franklin,  not  yet 
launched;  Powhatan,  refitted  with  new  ordnance  (9-inch  and  11-inch), 
at  Norfolk,  nearly  ready;  Cumberland,  razeed  to  carry  9-inch  and  10-inch, 
progressing  at  Boston.  It  is  supposed  that  the  Ten  Sloop  Bill  will  pass 
the  house,  in  which  case  we  ought  to  look  for  something  fine.  The  new 
French  frigates  are  not  so  large  as  ours,  with  batteries  as  usual,  and 
a  great  increase  of  steam-power;  they  talk  of  twelve  knots.  The 
English,  too,  are  on  the  lookout;  but  as  there  is  no  war,  will  probably 
feel  the  way  well  before  going  in  too  largely. 

"  January  21. — After  an  unusual  scarcity  of  snow,  it  has  come  down  with 
a  vengeance,  as  the  paper  says — twelve  inches  on  the  level,  and  three  feet 
in  drifts.  Pleasant,  news  from  Wdbash :  yards  square,  ship  rolling,  the 
muzzles  on  gun-deck  under — cast  loose,  and  practiced.  Captain  and 
first  lieutenant  report  that  the  9-inch  guns  were  perfectly  under  con 
trol,  though  the  sea  washed  in  on  the1  deck  and  wet  the  cartridges 
while  loading.  So  another  bugbear  is  disposed  of,  and  it  is  ascertained 
that  guns  of  this  weight  on  broadside  carriages  are  not  unmanageable, 
as  the  growlers  would  have  it.  Per  contra,  a  fall  parted  while  setting  up 
.lower  rigging  in  heavy  weather;  killed  one  man,  and  hurt  several  others 


Letter  from  J.  A.  Dahlgren.  1 1 1 

— captain  among  them.  I  wonder  that  the  growlers  are  not  opposed  to 
lower  rigging.  When  new,  it  is  apt  to  stretch,  and  if  a  ship  is  caught  in 
a  gale,  and  setting  up  has  to  be  done,  why  some  accident  is  possible. 
Many  applications  from  the  retired  list  have  been  made,  and  there  is 
much  speculation  as  to  results.  Some  supposed  that  but  few  would 
apply,  and  that  fewer  will  return ;  others  are  of  the  opposite  notion. 
The  Secretary  is  said  to  be  busy  in  arranging  the  programme. 

"  The  steamer  just  in  at  Halifax  telegraphs  news  of  the  British  attack 
on  Canton,  and  says  also  that  the  Portsmouth  has  been  filibustering,  which 
I  deny,  of  course,  as  you  were  even  opposed  to  the  annexation  of  Texas. 
However,  they  will  let  you  off,  if  you  have  made  good  gunnery.  And, 
my  good  friend,  you  have  the  best  evidence  in  my  power  that  I  often 
think  of  you.  Such  a  document  as  a  letter  of  seven  pages  from  me  is 
certainly  not  extant.  Write  when  you  can,  and  believe  me  that  my  best 
wishes  for  health  and  prosperity  ever  attend  you. 

"  Sincerely  and  warmly  your  friend, 

"  J.  A.  DAHLGREN. 

"  P.  S. — I  forgot  to  say  that  your  kind  arrangement  for  some  of  the 
books  will  be  borne  in  mind — in  case  I  should  be  driven  to  the  necessity 
of  looking  to  dollars  and  cents ;  but  I  hope  that  they  will  reach  the  offi 
cers  without  cost  to  them.  Much  to  my  annoyance,  constant  attention 
to  other  affairs  than  my  own  has  embarrassed  me.  Each  book  has 
taxed  my  pocket  more  or  less,  while  the  number  taken  and  price  paid 
by  Uncle  Sam  is  but  a  partial  relief.  However,  the  book  is  complete, 
and  will  soon  be  in  the  binder's  hands;  the  size  of  page  is  equal  to  that 
of  Douglas's  '  Gunnery,'  and  the  number  about  450. 

"  I  am  much  pleased  to  hear  that  Mr.  Simpson  has  a  turn  for  gunnery, 
and  I  should  like  much  if  he  were  disengaged  and  near  the  Plymouth. 
My  best  regards  to  all  the  officers  of  the  P." 

To  return  now  to  the  narrative  of  the  actual  cruise  of  the 
Portsmouth.  That  vessel  sailed  from  Norfolk,  Virginia,  May 
4, 1856 ;  and  after  a  passage  of  ninety-five  days,  in  which  she 
encountered  heavy  gales,  reached  Batavia,  where  the  officers 
were  most  hospitably  entertained  by  the  Dutch  authorities  and 
people.  From  Batavia  the  Portsmouth  proceeded  directly  to 
Hong-Kong,  and  remained  there  for  a  month  or  so ;  then,  from 


ii2  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

the  fact  of  not  finding  Commodore  Armstrong  at  that  port, 
and  also  from  the  fact  of  a  difficulty  having  arisen  between 
the  English  and  Chinese  (on  account  of  the  contemptuous 
treatment  of  the  British  flag),  which  threatened  to  result  in 
war,  Commander  Foote  took  his  ship  up  the  Canton  River  to 
Whampoa.  While  at  Hong-Kong,  Captain  Foote  had  a  cor 
respondence  with  Sir  John  Bowring  in  regard  to  the  sum 
mary  trial  of  an  American  seaman  by  British  authorities, 
which,  however,  needs  no  further  notice. 

These  were  troublous  times  in  the  Chinese  waters ;  but,  as 
a  proof  of  the  disposition  of  our  officers  to  avoid  difficulty  with 
the  Chinese  in  the  war  which  had  already  sprung  up  between 
them  and  the  English,  the  following  circular,  issued  by  Com 
mander  Foote,  may  be  adduced : 

"  The  undersigned  has  been  informed  that  the  American  flag  was  this 
day  borne  on  the  walls  of  Canton  through  the  breach  effected  by  the 
British  naval  forces.  This  unauthorized  act  is  wrholly  disavowed  by  the 
undersigned,  in  order  that  it  may  not  be  regarded  as  compromising  in 
the  least  degree  the  neutrality  of  the  United  States. 

"  The  United  States  naval  forces  are  here  for  the  special  protection  of 
American  interests ;  and  the  display  of  the  American  flag  in  any  other 

connection  is  hereby  forbidden. 

"  ANDREW  H.  FOOTE, 

"  Senior  Officer,  commanding  U.  S.  Naval  Forces  at  Canton. 
"  CANTON,  October  29, 1856." 

On  arriving  at  Whampoa,  Commander  Foote,  in  view  of  the 
unsettled  state  of  affairs,  at  once  organized  a  force  of  eighty 
men  into  companies,  and  established  and  fortified  posts  in 
Canton  in  a  manner  best  fitted  to  protect  the  lives  and  prop 
erty  of  American  residents  of  that  city.  He  was  also  enabled 
incidentally  to  afford  aid  and  protection  to  French  residents, 
for  which  he  was  formally  thanked  by  the  French  Charge 
d>  Affaires  at  Macao.  He  issued  an  order  to  American  senti 
nels  to  avoid  firing  upon  the  Chinese  except  when  directly  as- 


Foote  s  Boat  fired  upon.  113 

sailed  ;  and  he  enjoined  upon  all  under  his  command  scrupu 
lously  to  keep  the  peace.  He  seems,  indeed,  to  have  done 
what  he  could  to  prevent  Americans  from  being  drawn  into 
the  English  and  Chinese  imbroglio,  although  fighting  was  go 
ing  on  all  around  him,  and  his  own  ship  was  endangered  from 
flying  shots  and  combustibles;  and  thus  for  three  weeks  he 
preserved  an  armed  neutrality,  and  protected  American  inter 
ests.  In  the  mean  time  Commodore  Armstrong  had  arrived  at 
Hong-Kong  from  Shang-Hai.  In  order  to  avoid  the  danger 
of  compromising  our  neutrality,  the  commodore  ordered  the 
removal  of  the  American  force  from  the  city  of  Canton.  To 
expedite  these  arrangements,  Commander  Foote  was  actively 
engaged ;  and  on  one  occasion,  while  returning  from  Canton 
to  the  San  Jacinto,  then  lying  at  Whampoa,  his  boat  was  fired 
upon  by  the  Chinese,  which  uncalled-for  and  outrageous  act 
resulted  in  the  capture  and  destruction  of  the  Chinese  "Bar 
rier  Forts"  in  the  Canton  River.  A  detailed  though  modest 
account  of  this  affair,  in  which  the  fiery  bravery  and  military 
skill  of  Commander  Foote  were  so  conspicuous,  is  given  in  his 
own  words  in  an  official  report  to  his  commanding  officer.  It 
contains  some  unimportant  particulars,  but  we  have  preferred 
to  give  the  whole  letter  on  account  of  its  intrinsic  interest  to 
American  readers : 

"UNITED  STATES  SHIP  '  PORTSMOUTH,'  ) 

Off  the  '  Barrier  Forts,'  near  Canton,  NOD,  26, 1856.  f 

"  SIR, — Agreeably  to  your  orders  of  the  15th  instant  to  return  to  Can 
ton  and  resume  my  duties  in  command  of  the  force  placed  there  for  the 
protection  of  American  residents  in  their  persons  and  property,  I  pro 
ceeded  the  same  day,  with  one  of  our  boats,  in  company  with  Lieutenant 
Macomb  of  this  ship,  Assistant-Surgeon  Gibson  of  the  Levant,  and  Messrs. 
Sturgis  and  Macy  of  Canton,  for  the  purpose  of  directing  Commander 
Smith  to  return  and  take  his  ship  (the  Levant}  to  that  city,  preparatory 
to  the  withdrawal  of  our  force  from  the  foreign  factories. 

"  When  within  point-blank  range  of  the  fort  commanding  the  passage, 
a  shot  was  fired,  which  fell  a  short  distance  from  the  boat ;  this  was  soon 


Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 


followed  by  another,  which  struck  still  nearer  the  boat,  and  ricochetted 
far  beyond  it— Mr.  Sturgis  in  the  mean  time  waving  the  flag  that  it  might 
be  fully  displayed,  and  I  firing  my  revolver  toward  the  fort,  and  giving 
the  order  to  pull  away.  We  soon  passed  beyond  range  of  the  fort ;  and 


THK  "BABBIEB  FOKTS."  -  , 

when  within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  next,  it  opened  upon  us  with 
two  successive  discharges  of  round  shot  and  grape,  which  fell  thick 
and  fast  around  us,  one  of  them  striking  the  water  within  two  blades  of 
the  oars ;  the  last  discharge  was  made  after  the  boat's  head  was  turned 
toward  the  ship.  I  then  returned  and  reported  the  occurrence  verbally 
to  you. 

"  As  the  removal  of  this  ship  and  the  Levant  to  this  place  was  under 
your  own  orders  and  personal  supervision,  and  as  you  yourself  were  an 
eye-witness  of  the  cannonading  between  the  Portsmouth  and  the  forts  on 
Sunday,  the  16th  instant,  it  is  unnecessary  in  this  report  to  make  further 
allusion  to  those  events. 

"During  the  day  succeeding  your  departure  to  Whampoa,  the  two 
ships  were  in  position  to  open  upon  the  forts  on  the  recommencement  of 
active  hostilities  on  the  part  of  the  enemy — although  the  narrow  channel 
and  strong  tide  rendered  it  necessary  to  move  them  abreast  of,  instead  of 
in  a  line  with  each  other. 

"  Your  last  communication  of  the  19th  instant  contained  the  following 
clause : 

'"I  am  glad  to  hear  that  you  are  at  this  instant  strong  enough  to  ac 
complish  any  thing  I  may  direct ;  and  although,  pending  negotiation,  I 


Storming  of  the  "Barrier  Forts?  1 1 5 

do  not  wish  to  take  aggressive  steps  without  a  sufficient  cause,  yet  I  re 
peat  my  wish  to  have  the  enemy  prevented  from  increasing  his  means  of 
defense  or  assault,  in  the  most  expedient  and  efficient  manner  your  judg 
ment  and  means  may  warrant,  even  though  you  may  be  led  to  the  cap 
ture  of  the  forts.' 

"  As  there  were  no  other  means  in  my  power  effectually  to  prevent  the 
enemy  from  strengthening  his  defenses,  I  immediately  determined  to 
storm  his  forts,  and  would  have  done  so  the  same  evening  if  it  had  been 
possible  to  complete  the  necessary  arrangements  before  dark. 

"  At  6.30  on  the  morning  of  the  20th  instant,  both  ships  being  in  posi 
tion  and  in  all  respects  ready  for  action,  we  beat  to  quarters,  and  simul 
taneously  opened  on  the  two  nearest  forts.  After  an  interval  of  five  min 
utes  the  fire  was  briskly  returned  until  7.45,  when  it  materially  slackened. 
The  storming-party,  consisting  of  two  hundred  and  eighty-seven  persons 
— officers,  seamen,  and  marines — with  four  howitzers,  commanded  by  my 
self—Commanders  Bell  and  Smith  leading  respectively  detachments  from 
the  San  Jacinto  and  Levant — then  left  the  ships,  and  pulled  in  three  col 
umns  for  the  shore.  The  company  of  marines  was  most  efficiently  led 
by  Captain  Simms.  While  landing,  Louis  Hetzel  and  Thomas  Krouse 
(apprentice  boys)  were  killed  by  the  accidental  discharge  of  a  Minie  rifle. 
The  party  formed,  and  marched  toward  the  fort,  dragging  three  howitz 
ers  with  them  across  the  rice-fields,  and  wading  a  creek  waist  deep.  In 
order  to  attack  the  fort  in  the  rear  it  was  necessary  to  pass  through  a 
village,  in  which  several  shots  were  fired  upon  us,  till  the  howitzers 
cleared  the  streets,  and  secured  for  us  an  unobstructed  progress.  When 
near  the  fort  the  soldiers  were  seen  fleeing  from  it,  many  of  them  swim 
ming  for  the  opposite  shore.  The  marines,  being  in  advance,  opened  fire 
upon  the  fugitives  with  deadly  effect,  killing  some  forty  or  fifty.  The 
American  flag  was  planted  on  the  walls  of  the  fort  by  a  lieutenant  from 
the  Portsmouth.  As  the  fort  opposite  was  playing  upon  us,  the  guns  we 
had  captured — fifty-three  in  number — were  several  of  them  brought  to 
bear  upon  and  soon  silenced  it,  but  not  before  a  shot  had  struck  the 
Portsmouth? 's  launch  and  sunk  her.  She  floated,  however,  at  the  flood, 
and  was  soon  rendered  efficient  for  further  service.  The  city  of  Canton 
being  only  four  miles  distant,  a  portion  of  its  army,  variously  estimated 
at  from  five  to  fifteen  thousand,  and  which  I  believe  to  have  numbered 
at  least  three  thousand,  was  stationed  near.  This  force  twice  advanced ; 
but  they  were  both  times  repulsed  by  the  marines,  with  ten  or  twelve 
killed ;  and,  as  they  were  retreating,  a  deadly  fire  was  opened  upon  them 


1 1 6  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

from  one  of  the  howitzers.  During  one  of  these  skirmishes  a  man  belong 
ing  to  the  Portsmouth  received  a  shot-wound  in  the  leg.  While  firing  at 
the  opposite  fort,  a  boatswain's  mate  from  the  Portsmouth  was  wounded 
in  the  head  and  foot  by  the  bursting  of  a  gun. 

"  A  small  portion  of  the  force  was  withdrawn  at  night,  and  the  fort 
was  occupied  by  the  commander  of  the  San  Jadnto  with  the  remaining 
force  till  morning. 

"  At  three  A.M.  the  next  day  an  8-inch  shot  from  one  of  the  forts 
struck  the  Portsmouth  and  lodged  in  the  bends.  This  was  instantly  re 
turned  by  three  of  her  shells,  and  the  fort  was  at  once  silenced.  At  four 
A.M.  the  commander  of  the  San  Jadnto,  with  the  force  which  had  occu 
pied  the  captured  fort  during  the  night,  embarked  and  returned  to  the 
ship.  At  six  o'clock  both  ships  opened  their  fire  on  the  three  remaining 
forts,  which  was  at  first  briskly  returned.  During  the  action  Edward 
Kiley  (O.  S.)  wa&  mortally  wounded  aboard  the  Levant,  and  died  this 
evening.  The  fort  nearest  the  ships  having  been  silenced,  at  seven 
o'clock  the  boats  in  tow  of  the  American  steamer  Cum  Fa,  temporarily 
in  the  charge  of  Mr.  Robinet,  left  the  ship  and  proceeded  toward  the  ob 
ject  of  attack.  While  passing  the  barrier,  a  ricochet  64-pound  shot  from 
the  farthest  fort  struck  the  boat  abreast  of  my  own,  completely  raking 
it,  and  instantly  killing  James  Hoagland,  carpenter's  mate,  and  mortally 
wounding  William  Mackia  and  Alfred  Turner,  who  died  soon  after. 
Seven  others  were  also  wounded  more  or  less  severely.  The  boat  struck 
was  the  launch  of  the  San  Jacinto,  in  charge  of  the  first  lieutenant  of  that 
ship.  The  steamer  stood  in  with  the  boats  in  tow,  till  they  were  cov 
ered  by  an  intervening  neck  of  land,  on  which  the  party  landed.  After 
wading  a  ditch  waist  deep,  and  receiving  several  shots  from  gingals  and 
rockets,  the  fort  was  carried,  with  one  of  the  marines  severely  wounded, 
in  presence  of  a  thousand  or  more  Chinese  soldiers  just  beyond  howitzer 
range.  A  corporal  of  marines,  the  standard-bearer  of  the  company, 
planted  the  American  flag  upon  the  walls.  Several  of  the  guns  of  the 
fort,  with  our  own  howitzers,  were  brought  to  bear  upon  the  centre  fort, 
commanding  the  river,  which  had  opened  fire  upon  us.  It  was  soon 
silenced.  The  other  guns  in  the  fort  we  had  captured,  which  were  alto 
gether  forty-one  in  number,  were  spiked,  their  carriages  burned,  and  ev 
ery  thing  destructible,  by  the  means  in  our  power,  destroyed. 

"  At  four  P.M.  the  marines  advanced  on  the  bank  of  the  river  and 
captured  a  breastwork  mounting  six  guns ;  a  party  of  Chinese  soldiers, 
some  hundreds  in  number,  advanced  toward  them,  but  were  soon  re- 


Storming  of  the  "Barrier  Forts"  117 

pulsed  by  two  companies  of  sailors,  led  by  their  lieutenants.  In  the 
mean  time  one  of  the  howitzers  played  upon  a  still  greater  number,  who 
were  drawn  up  in  front  of  and  around  a  pagoda,  until  they  were  dispersed, 
and  retreated  carrying  off  their  killed  and  wounded.  The  boats,  under 
fire  from  the  fort  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  had  been  tracked  up 
to  the  breastwork,  and  now,  under  cover  of  its  guns  and  those  of  the 
fort  just  captured,  they  crossed  with  the  party  to  the  island,  and  took 
possession  of  its  fort,  containing  thirty-eight  guns ;  one  of  these  was  a 
brass  gun,  of  8-inch  calibre,  and  twenty-two  feet  five  inches  in  length. 
The  standard-bearer  of  marines  was  again  the  first  to  plant  the  American 
flag  upon  the  walls.  The  same  work  of  destruction  was  here  renewed. 
The  only  fort  remaining  in  the  possession  of  the  enemy  on  the  Canton 
side  of  the  river  at  once  opened  upon  us.  Accordingly  the  guns  in  the 
fort  we  occupied  were  brought  to  bear,  and,  with  the  assistance  of  the 
howitzers,  silenced  it  in  the  course  of  half  an  hour.  It  now  being 
dark,  it  was  thought  expedient  to  suspend  further  operations  till  morn 
ing.  Active  preparations  were  making  by  the  enemy  during  the  night, 
showing  a  determination  to  make  a  vigorous  resistance. 

"  The  following  morning,  Saturday,  the  22d  instant,  at  four  o'clock,  all 
hands  were  called,  and  arrangements  made  preparatory  to  the  attack  in 
front  of  the  fourth  and  last  fort.  At  early  daylight,  every  thing  being 
ready,  the  first  lieutenant  of  the  San  Jacinto,  who  was  left  in  charge  of 
the  fort,  was  directed  to  fire  a  single  howitzer,  for  the  purpose  of  draw 
ing,  the  fire  of  the  enemy.  As  this  did  not  succeed,  another  discharge 
was  made,  with  no  better  result.  Three  howitzers  were  left  in  the  fort  to 
cover  the  landing,  and  prevent  the  enemy  from  firing  the  guns  trained  on 
the  point  which  we  were  to  double.  Our  launch,  with  the  howitzers, 
preceded  the  other  boats,  which  followed  in  three  columns.  The  how 
itzers  commenced  playing  briskly  to  divert  the  fire  of  the  fort  from  us. 
But,  from  the  moment  we  doubled  the  point,  and  during  the  time  inter 
vening  until  we  reached  within  musket-shot  and  gave  three  cheers — not 
withstanding  the  rapid  and  effective  fire  of  the  howitzers  in  the  fort  and 
the  launch — the  hostile  fort  opened  and  continued  a  brisk  fire  upon  the 
boats  with  round  shot,  grape,  and  gingals.  The  shot  passed  closely  over 
our  heads,  with  the  exception  of  three,  one  of  which  passed  between  the 
two  boats,  and  each  of  the  others  striking  an  oar. 

"  As  the  boats  could  not  be  brought  close  to  the  shore,  our  party  jumped 
into  the  water,  and  thus  entered  and  took  possession  of  the  fort,  just  in 
time  to  fire  upon  the  last  of  the  enemy  in  their  retreat.  It  was  discovered 


1 1 8  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

that  they  had,  before  evacuating,  loaded  the  guns,  and  trained  them  upon 
the  boats  with  a  slow  match  ignited.  Those  of  our  men  who  were  in 
advance  cut  the  train.  A  boatswain's  mate  from  the  Portsmouth  was  the 
first  to  enter  the  fort  and  plant  the  American  flag  upon  its  walls.  The 
number  of  guns  which  it  contained  was  thirty-eight.  The  fort  was  de 
molished. 

"  The  forts  contained  a  total  of  176  guns,  many  of  them  of  the  largest 
calibre.  I  am  told  that  they  have  always  been  considered  as  among  the 
strongest  defenses  of  the  empire,  as  well  as  the  key  to  the  city  of  Canton. 

"  The  commander  of  the  San  Jacinto  is  to-day  at  work  in  the  fort  last 
captured,  preparing  utterly  to  demolish  that  part  of  the  walls  facing  the 
river ;  these  are  of  massive  granite,  and  eight  feet  in  thickness.  As  soon 
as  this  work  is  accomplished,  we  shall  proceed  in  the  same  way  with  the 
other  forts.  An  attack  was  made  upon  the  rear  of  the  fort  occupied  by 
our  force  at  three  o'clock  this  morning  by  a  body  of  Chinese,  who  threw 
several  rockets  and  stink-pots.  The  assailants  were  provided  with  scal 
ing-ladders.  They  were  soon  dispersed  by  a  brisk  fire  of  musketry  and 
the  howitzers,  leaving  two  ladders  behind  them  in  their  retreat. 

"  The  ships  received  during  the  cannonading  of  the  16th,  20th,  and 
21st  instants  forty  shots  in  their  hulls  and  rigging — the  Portsmouth 
eighteen,  the  Levant  twenty-two ;  and  their  fire  was  most  satisfactorily 
effective,  as  may  be  witnessed  on  the  demolished  parapets  of  the  nearest 
forts  and  their  appearance  within  the  walls. 

"  Previous  to  all  the  attacks  I  counseled  freely  with  the  commanders 
of  the  San  Jadnto  and  Levant;  and  as  the  latter's  officer  performed  such 
effective  service  by  the  cannonading  of  his  ship  previous  to  the  storm 
ing,  and  as  the  other  was  present  without  his  ship,  I  may  be  permitted 
to  say  of  the  former  that  I  found  him  ready  to  suggest  and  to  execute  at 
any  moment  and  in  all  exigencies.  I  ought  to  mention  that  the  com 
mander  of  the  Levant,  previous  to  the  action  of  the  20th  and  21st  instants, 
had  brought  his  ship  into  position  nearer  the  forts,  so  that  she  received 
the  hottest  of  their  fire,  and  he  has  now  brought  her  close  to  the  fort 
which  we  are  undermining.  From  the  other  officers  also  I  received  very 
important  suggestions.  In  short,  the  bearing  of  all  the  officers,  sailors, 
and  marines  was  creditable  to  them  in  the  highest  degree. 

"  The  readiness  and  coolness  with  which  Captain  Curry,  of  the  Amer 
ican  steamer  Willamette,  towed  this  ship  into  position,  on  the  16th  instant, 
under  fire  from  the  nearest  fort,  exposing  himself  and  his  vessel,  and  not 
'  casting  off'  till  so  ordered,  excites  our  highest  admiration.  Mr.  William 


Storming  of  the  "Barrier  Forts?  1 1 9 

M.  Robinet,  of  Maryland,  now  a  resident  merchant  in  Canton,  gave  his 
services  as  pilot  and  commander  of  the  Cum  Fa,  when  that  steamer  towed 
the  boats  inshore  to  attack  the  second  fort.  This  gentleman  also,  by  his 
knowledge  of  the  country,  was  able  to  point  out  the  course  adopted  in 
the  attack  of  the  second  and  third  forts,  and  suggested  the  time  of  the 
attack  upon  the  third  and  last. 

"Captain  Henry  Devens,  of  Charlestown,  Massachusetts,  voluntarily 
acted  as  my  aid  in  the  capture  of  the  last  three  forts,  and  was  ready  to 
render  good  service.  Captain  Sewall,  of  the  American  ship  Flyaway, 
occasionally  took  charge  of  the  steamer  Cum  Fa,  and  repeatedly  volun 
teered  to  serve  in  any  capacity  wherein  he  could  promote  the  success  of 
the  expedition.  Several  other  American  gentlemen,  whose  names  have 
not  been  mentioned,  volunteered  their  aid,  and  rendered  important  assist 
ance. 

"  It  may  be  seen  in  this  report  how  efficient  our  marines  are  in  service 
of  this  kind ;  and  the  inference  is  inevitable  that  an  increase  of  that 
corps,  and  of  the  number  of  officers  and  men  attached  to  our  ships,  would 
tend  to  insure  success  in  like  expeditions.  In  all  the  advances,  the  men 
were  ready,  in  perfect  order  and  discipline,  to  respond  to  the  call  of  their 
officers. 

"It  is  but  just  also  to  the  sailors  to  say  that  their  order  and  subordina 
tion,  as  well  as  their  bravery,  most  favorably  impressed  me ;  and  I  was 
convinced  that  when  the  two  bodies  acted  in  co-operation,  in  skirmish 
ing  parties  and  otherwise,  they  were  capable  of  successfully  resisting  any 
Chinese  force  which  they  might  encounter. 

"  The  howitzers  contributed  greatly  to — I  may  say  secured — the  suc 
cess  of  the  expedition,  not  only  by  their  destructive  qualities,  but  by  the 
fear  which  their  appearance  inspired  among  the  enemy. 

"  I  can  not  help  believing  that  the  heavy  and  prolonged  cannonading 
of  the  Portsmouth,  on  the  16th  instant,  was  most  important  in  preparing 
the  way  for  the  operations  which  succeeded.  The  powerful  battery  of 
this  ship,  consisting  of  sixteen  8-inch  shell-guns,  each  of  63  cwt.,  so  par 
alyzed  the  nearest  fort,  which  was  within  a  range  of  four  hundred  and 
eighty  yards,  that  it  was  never  afterward  able  to  do  the  injury  which  it 
might  otherwise  have  inflicted.  I  am  disposed  to  believe,  too,  that  a 
ship  with  guns  of  smaller  calibre  could  not  have  sustained  alone  the  hot 
fire  to  which  this  vessel  was  that  day  exposed  from  the  four  forts  com 
bined  ;  and  much  less  could  have  silenced  the  two  nearest  of  those  forts, 
as  she  did  after  a  brisk  cannonading  of  between  two  and  three  hours. 


1 20  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

I  am  happy  to  add  that  the  new  elevating  screws  of  Constructor  Hartt, 
with  which  her  guns  are  fitted,  stood  the  severe  test  of  the  heavy  firing 
during  the  several  actions  to  my  entire  satisfaction. 

"  It  is,  of  course,  impossible  to  ascertain  definitely  what  loss  the  Chi 
nese  have  sustained.  Their  own  rumors  make  it,  at  the  least  estimate, 
five  hundred — although  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  it  will  not  exceed 
one  half  that  number.  It  is  said,  on  good  authority,  that  a  hundred  and 
twenty  Chinese  sailors,  recently  discharged  from  a  foreign  man-of-war, 
and  who  have  thus  had  the  advantage  of  European  training  and  disci 
pline,  were  among  those  who  served  the  guns  of  the  forts.  This  accounts 
for  the  superior  gunnery  displayed  by  the  enemy. 

"  It  becomes  my  painful  duty  to  add  the  following  list  of  killed  and 
wounded  (seven  killed  and  twenty-two  wounded) ;  and  I  can  only  ex 
press  in  this  place  my  feeling  of  sorrow  for  the  loss  which  their  own 
friends  have  sustained,  and  which  the  country  and  the  service  to  which 
they  belonged  have  also  suffered.  It  is  proper  for  me  to  mention  that,  by 
request  of  the  fleet-surgeon,  the  surgeons  of  the  ships  were  not  permitted 
to  accompany  the  storming-parties  on  shore,  as  the  most  important  oper 
ations  could  not  be  performed  on  the  field,  but  on  board  ship.  All  that 
medical  skill  could  do  to  relieve  the  sufferings  and  save  the  lives  of  the 
wounded  was  promptly  and  successfully  accomplished. 
(Surgeon's  report  omitted.) 

•"  I  am,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  (Signed)    ANDKEW  H.  FOOTE, 

"  Commander  and  Senior  Officer  present  commanding  U.  S.  Naval 
Forces,  off  the  Barrier  Forts,  near  Canton. 

"  Commodore  James  Armstrong,  commanding  U.  S.  Naval  Forces,  ) 
East  Indies  and  China  Seas.  ) 

"  P.  S. — Subjoined  is  a  list  of  the  officers  of  the  several  storming- 
parties  : 

"  Commander  Andrew  H.  Foote  ....  Portsmouth,  Commanding. 

"  Henry  H.  Bell San  Jacinto. 

"  William  Smith Levant. 

Lieutenant  Henry  H.  Lewis San  Jacinto. 

"         John  Rutledge  .....  " 

"         S.  P.  Carter " 

Assistant-Surgeon  R.  P.  Daniel ....  " 

Captain's  Clerk  William  S.  Aske  ...  " 


Storming  of  the  "Barrier  Forts" 


121 


Brevet-Captain  John  D.  Simms,  Marines  .  San  Jacinto. 


Lieutenant  William  H.  Macomb    .     . 

"         Henry  K.  Davenport  .     . 

"         Edward  Simpson    .     .     . 

"         Pendleton  G.Watmough. 

"  George  E.  Belknap .  .  . 
Master  Francis  E.  Sheppard .... 
3d  Lieut.,  Marines,  Wm.  W.  Kirkland 

Purser  John  V.  Dobbin 

Assistant-Surgeon  John  Vanzant  .  . 
Carpenter  Joseph  G.  Meyers .... 
Master's  Mate  Peter  McAvoy  .  .  . 
Lieutenant  George  Colvocoresses  .  . 

"         John  J.  Guthrie  .... 

"         Earl  English 

Master  H.  A.  Adams 

Assistant-Surgeon  A.  S.  Gihon  .  .  . 
2d  Lieutenant,  Marines,  H.  Tyler,  Jr.  . 
Captain's  Clerk  S.  A.  Coale,  Jr. .  .  . 
Carpenter  Edward  Williams  .  .  . 

Gunner  H.  M.  Gordon 

Master's  Mate  Fitch  Taylor  .     .     %    . 


Portsmouth. 


Levant. 


"A.  H.F.' 


CHAPTEE  XI. 

EEMAKKS  ON  THE  TAKING  OF  THE  "  BAEEIER  FORTS." CRUISE  OF 

THE  "PORTSMOUTH"  CONCLUDED. 

THE  action  narrated  in  the  preceding  chapter,  in  the  judg 
ment  of  competent  witnesses,  was,  in  a  military  point  of  view, 
a  brilliant  one.  The  English  and  French  were  loud  in  their 
praises ;  and  as  the  gallant  Portsmouth  dropped  down  the 
river,  the  ship  of  the  British  admiral,  Sir  Michael  Seymour, 
as  well  as  his  commodore's  vessel,  manned  the  rigging,  and 
gave  three  rousing  cheers  for  the  Portsmouth^  while  the  bands 
struck  up  "Hail  Columbia"  and  "Yankee  Doodle" — a  com 
pliment  rarely  paid  to  our  ships  by  rival  nations. 

This  action  made  a  deep  impression.  In  China,  to  this  day, 
Commander  Foote  is  well  remembered ;  and  the  storming  of 
the  "  Barrier  Forts  "  taught  the  mandarins  a  lesson  which  they 
never  forgot,  made  the  American  flag  respected  even  by  that 
stolid  and  peculiar  people,  and  led  the  way  to  the  advanta 
geous  treaties  of  Mr.  Reed  and  Mr.  Burlingame. 

The  battle  was  varied  in  its  emergencies  by  sea  and  land, 
and  called  forth  the  best  judgment  as  well  as  courage  of  the 
commanding  officer;  and  although  he  was  opposed  by  semi 
barbarians,  the  odds  in  respect  to  numbers  were  great  on  the 
side  of  the  Chinese — some  5000  to  280  Americans.  The  forts 
were  strong,  and  capable  of  doing  immense  mischief  if  further 
strengthened.  But  Foote  did  not  wait  for  this.  He  urged 
upon  the  commodore  the  necessity  of  immediate  reprisals  for 
the  insult  to  our  flag  and  the  wanton  assault  upon  the  boats, 
feeling  that  a  lesson  should  be  given.  The  commodore  was  on 
board  the  Portsmouth  during  the  first  cannonading,  but,  being 


Approval  by  the  Government.  123 

ill,  he  withdrew,  leaving  all  in  the  hands  of  Foote.  He,  in 
fact,  took  the  responsibility  and  carried  the  thing,  through. 
The  boldness  with  which  his  vessels  were  laid  alongside  the 
forts,  up  to  the  very  teeth  of  the  cannon,  and  the  straight,  im 
petuous  storming  work  which  followed  their  cannonade,  re 
mind  us  of  a  scene  more  fresh  in  our  memories,  and  are  char 
acteristic  of  the  man  and  of  his  mode  of  going  to  work. 

The  American  Government  added  its  approval  of  the  con 
duct  of  her  Navy  on  this  occasion.  The  following  is  an  ex 
tract  from  Secretary  Dobbin's  dispatch  to  Commodore  Arm 
strong  of  February  27, 1857 : 

"  Our  national  flag  was  borne  by  American  officers  on  waters  where  it 
was  legitimate  to  show  it.  The  mission  of  those  bearing  it  in  the  small 
boat  was  peaceful.  No  notice  had  been  given  by  the  Chinese,  no  shot  of 
warning  was  fired  over  the  boat ;  but  shot  and  shell  were  fired  deliberate 
ly  at  the  officers  and  men,  with  a  view  to  their  destruction.  My  reflec 
tions  upon  the  whole  case  convince  me  that  it  was  indispensably  neces 
sary  promptly  to  vindicate  the  sacredness  of  our  national  flag,  and  to  in 
flict  a  degree  of  punishment  sufficiently  impressive  to  deter  these  people 
from  again  rashly  and  recklessly  insulting  us.  Had  the  offensive  act  been 
temporarily  submitted  to  and  referred  to  the  tardy  process  of  Chinese  ex 
planations,  this  trifling  with  our  flag  would  probably  have  been  repeated, 
and  led  to  still  more  serious  consequences. 

"  I  approve,  therefore,  of  the  course  pursued  by  you  and  those  under 
your  command.  The  brave  and  energetic  manner  in  which  the  wrong 
was  avenged  is  worthy  of  all  praise.  The  gallantry,  good  order,  and 
'  intelligent  subordination '  displayed  by  all  engaged  in  the  various  con 
flicts  with  the  enemy ;  the  precision  and  admirable  success  with  which 
the  guns  were  managed,  are  highly  creditable  to  the  service.  Be  pleased, 
sir,  to  communicate  to  the  officers,  seamen,  and  marines  the  Department's 
high  appreciation  of  their  good  conduct." 

In  the  "  Blue-Book "  presented  to  the  British  Parliament, 
the  notices  of  the  capture  of  the  "Barrier  Forts,"  made  by 
Consul  Parkes  and  Eear- Admiral  Sir  Michael  Seymour,  were 
in  marked  terms  of  commendation  both  of  the  skill  and  the 
gallantry  displayed  by  the  Americans. 


1 24  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

There  were  not  wanting  those  who  criticised  both  privately 
and  publicly  the  conduct  of  the  American  Navy  in  this  affair, 
as  involving  itself  hastily  and  unnecessarily  in  the  English 
and  Chinese  difficulty.  A  most  indignant  and  caustic  letter, 
written  by  Commander  Foote  himself  to  Chaplain  James 
Beecher,  shows  that  he  could  fight  with  the  pen  as  well  as 
with  the  sword.  In  this  letter  he  defends  himself  from  every 
charge.  On  the  point  of  the  Chinese  firing  upon  the  boats, 
which,  it  had  been  intimated,  was  a  natural  thing  for  them 
to  do  in  their  indiscriminate  and  unintelligent  hatred  of  for 
eigners,  he  says : 

"  The  fact  ot  the  trade  of  all  nations  being  suspended ;  the  fact  that 
we  are  not  at  war  with  China;  that  French  armed  boats,  as  well  as  boats 
of  different  nationalities,  were  passing  the  '  Barrier  Forts '  unmolested,  as 
they  had  a  treaty  right  to  do,  before  and  after  my  own  boat  was  fired 
upon,  show  your  general  views  to  be  as  crude  as  they  are  perverse  where 
the  honor  of  your  country's  flag  is  involved." 

It  may  be  that  Mr.  Beecher  and  others  were  right  in  their 
criticisms ;  it  may  be  that  Commander  Foote  was  over-ready 
to  fight  in  this  instance  (a  failing  of  his) ;  it  may  be  that  a 
longer  forbearance  would  have  resulted  in  more  good ;  but  it 
is  difficult,  with  the  facts  before  us,  to  see  these  things.  We 
should  be  the  last  to  defend  him  in  that  which  is  wrong ;  but 
we  must  in  this  instance  fall  back  upon  his  superior  knowl 
edge  of  the  facts  of  the  case,  and  upon  his  established  charac 
ter  as  a  man  of  high  principle  and  humanity.  His  profes 
sional  duty  pressed  him  to  act  energetically.  He  did  so  act. 
and  we  are  not  aware  that  by  truly  competent  authority,  both 
civil  and  military,  he  has  been  adjudged  to  have  acted  rashly, 
or  to  have  merited  aught  but  praise. 

A  letter  written  about  this  time  makes  mention  of  one  of 
these  newspaper  notices  of  his  conduct  to  which  reference 
has  been  made ;  and  as  it  bears  directly  on  the  main  point  in 
the  case,  it  is  quoted  in  full : 


Letter  of  A.  H.  Foote.  125 

"U.  S.  SHIP  'PORTSMOUTH,'  HONG-KONG,  June  27,  1858. 

"  MY  DEAR  BRADFORD, — I  have  read  your  letter  published  in  the  Phil 
adelphia  Press.  It  does  you  intellectually  great  credit,  and  certainly  I 
believe  it  to  have  been  written,  notwithstanding  its  wholesale  errors  about 
our  force  in  Canton,  with  that  moral  sentiment  which  I  always  have  con 
sidered  as  a  feature  in  your  character. 

"  You  were  not  in  Canton  when  our  force  was  there.  Consequently  the 
assertion  in  your  letter  that  it  was  not  asked,  but,  on  the  contrary,  that  a 
request  was  made  that  it  might  be  withdrawn,  as  it  was  unnecessary  for 
protection,  must  have  been  made  on  other  authority  than  your  personal 
knowledge.  The  credibility  of  that  authority  may  be  seen  by  the  in 
closed  copy  of  a  letter  addressed  to  me  by  Consul  Perry,  showing  that 
the  force  was  officially  and  immediately  urged  by  the  highest  American 
functionary  in  Canton — Dr.  Parker,  the  commissioner,  being  with  you  at 
that  time  in  Shang-Ha'i.  And  so  far  from  the  force  not  being  wanted  by 
the  Americans,  and  they  having  requested  its  withdrawal,  I  need  only  to 
remark  that,  after  having  been  in  Canton  a  fortnight,  I  received  orders 
from  the  commodore  to  proceed  with  the  ship  to  Shang-Ha'i.  On  making 
these  orders  known,  one  of  the  merchants  said  that  he  hoped  I  would  not 
leave  them ;  that  a  letter  signed  by  the  Americans,  showing  the  necessity 
of  a  force  for  their  protection,  would,  if  I  wished  it,  readily  be  furnished. 
I  declined  the  proposal,  remarking  that  in  the  existing  state  of  affairs  I 
should  not  leave  Canton,  and  had  no  doubt  but  that  the  commodore 
would,  as  he  afterward  did,  fully  approve  my  course.  Besides  this,  every 
American  house  in  Canton — I  do  not  remember  a  single  exception — im 
portuned  me  for  sentinels  to  be  posted  within  their  premises.  And  still 
further,  I  call  upon  your  informant,  or  any  American  then  in  Canton,  to 
say  that  he  gave  me  the  slightest  intimation  that  our  force  might  be 
withdrawn,  until  it  had  been  there  more  than  a  fortnight,  and  accom 
plished  fully  the  object  for  which  it  was  placed  there — for  the  protection 
of  our  citizens,  and  their  persons  and  property ;  when  I  announced  my 
intention  of  conferring  with  the  commodore  on  the  propriety  of  with 
drawing  the  men,  and  having  the  Levant  brought  up  to  the  city  as  a 
place  of  refuge  in  case  of  emergency. 

"  Although  the  government  has  unqualifiedly  approved  our  Course,  as 
may  be  seen  in  the  copy  of  a  letter  in  my  possession,  still,  if  there  re 
main  a  doubt  on  the  subject  in  the  minds  of  persons  whose  opinions  are 
worthy  of  my  regard,  I  hope  that  the  whole  matter  may  be  reopened  by 
agitation,  investigation,  probing,  and  sifting,  so  far  as  my  own  agency  in 

I 


126  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

taking  the  force  to  Canton  is  involved,  as  well  as  the  subsequent  course 
of  the  squadron  at  the  '  Barrier  Forts.' 

"  I  still  feel,  as  I  often  have  expressed  myself,  that  had  I  not  promptly 
taken  the  force  to  Canton,  amd  in  counsel  and  deed  approved  the  cap 
ture  of  the  '  Barrier  Forts '  for  having  on  three  different  occasions  fired 
upon  our  flag,  I  ought  to  be  turned  out  of  the  Navy  as  one  wholly  un 
worthy  of  holding  a  commander's  commission  in  it.  Had  you  been 
there,  holding  my  commission,  I  believe  also  that  your  course  would 
have  corresponded  with  my  own. 

"  I  thus  have  freely  commented,  as  I  am  justified  in  doing,  on  that  part 
of  your  letter  referring  to  acts  in  which  I  bore  a  prominent  part ;  and 
now  take  the  liberty  of  a  friend  in  remarking  that  our  sentiments  toward 
the  English  are  antipodal.  I  hold  them  to  be  a  nation  altogether  in  ad 
vance  of  any  European  in  promoting  Christian  civilization  and  the  high 
est  interests  of  mankind.  Your  Anglophobia,  pardon  the  expression, 
often  leads  you,  though  no  doubt  unintentionally,  to  do  them  an  injus 
tice.  I  am  quite  proud  of  our  ancestry,  even  with  all  their  faults,  when 
I  compare  them  with  the  other  nations  of  Europe. 

"  I  am  truly  yours, 
"  (Signed)  A.  H.  FOOTE." 

The  Portsmouth  lay  off  the  "  Barrier  Forts  "  for  some  days, 
to  carry  out  the  work  of  demolition.  In  one  of  his  dispatches 
to  the  commodore,  Foote  says,  "  We  don't  work,  of  course,  to 
day.  I  have  preached  aboard  and  in  the  fort."  The  destruc 
tion  of  the  forts  was  completed  in  ten  working  days.  Some 
men  were  unfortunately  killed,  and  others  wounded,  by  a  prem 
ature  explosion.  Of  this  work  of  demolition,  Commander 
Foote  writes  to  a  friend : 

"  The  governor  (Yeh)  in  his  correspondence  with  the  commodore  has 
given  no  satisfaction,  and  therefore  we  have  taken  it  by  utterly  demol 
ishing  his  forts.  He  now  says  that  he  also  desires  peace,  and  matters 
look  more  pacific,  at  least  till  the  pleasure  of  our  government  is  known. 
American  merchants  here,  and  missionaries  too,  unanimously  regard  our 
course  as  having  been  necessary  to  show  the  Chinese  that  the  Americans 
are  as  powerful  as  some  other  nations  with  whom  they  have  been  in  con 
flict.  It  is  the  first  display  of  American  force  in  China,  and  it  was  desir 
able  that  it  should  be  effectual." 


Letter  of  Canton  Merchants.  127 

In  certification  of  what  Commander  Foote  here  says  of  the 
opinion  of  other  Americans  then  in  Canton  and  vicinity  in 
regard  to  his  course  of  action,  the  following  letter  to  Captain 
Foote,  signed  by  influential  American  residents  in  China,  is  of 

value : 

"MACAO,  February  9,  1858. 

"  DEAK  SIR, — We  have  been  informed  that  in  some  of  the  American 
newspapers  it  has  been  stated  in  a  communication  from  China  that  the 
force  taken  by  you  to  the  factories  at  Canton,  in  the  month  of  October, 
1856,  while  difficulties  existed  between  the  English  and  Chinese  authori 
ties,  was  not  only  not  necessary  there,  but  that  you  were  requested  to 
withdraw  it.  In  justice  to  yourself,  we  beg  to  say  that  of  the  necessity 
for  the  force  there,  at  the  period  in  question,  we  are  fully  satisfied,  and 
that  it  imparted  great  confidence  and  security  to  the  Americans  gener 
ally  in  Canton.  We,  of  course,  can  not  know  if  you  were  requested  to 
remove  it,  but  are  convinced  that  had  you  done  so,  the  danger  to  life  and 
property  would  have  been  greatly  increased. 

u  We  are  happy  also  to  avail  ourselves  of  this  opportunity  to  express 
to  you  our  acknowledgment  for  the  prompt  and  willing  manner  in  which 
you  have  given  your  assistance  and  support  to  your  countrymen  in  this 
part  of  China,  whenever  it  seemed  to  you  that  you  could  be  of  any  possi 
ble  service  or  that  circumstances  required  them.  We  remain,  dear  sir, 
your  friends  and  countrymen, 

"  JAMES  PURDON  &  Co.  (of  Canton),"  and  others. 

The  remainder  of  the  cruise  of  the  Portsmouth  must  be 
more  briefly  treated.  She  dropped  down  to  Hong-Kong,  and 
stayed  there  until  the  1st  of  January,  1857,  when  she  was  sent 
north  to  Shang-Ha'i ;  and  after  remaining  twenty  days  at  that 
port,  she  came  south  to  Mngpo,  on  account  of  alleged  disturb 
ances  there.  Commander  Foote  and  his  officers  were  invited 
to  an  entertainment  by  the  governor,  or  Taontai,  who  pledged 
himself  to  protect  American  lives  and  property.  From  Ning- 
po  the  Portsmouth  proceeded  to  Foo-Chow,  where  it  was 
found  that  the  Canton  difficulties  had  not  extended  to  the  det 
riment  of  our  interests.  Amoy  was  the  next  stopping-place ; 
thence  they  returned  to  Hong-Kong  on  March  14th,  having 


128  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

visited  all  the  Chinese  ports   north   of  Canton   opened  by 
treaty. 

On  the  llth  of  April  the  Portsmouth  sailed  once  more 
from  Hong  Kong  to  Singapore,  her  commander  being  charged 
with  orders  to  obtain  full  information  in  regard  to  the  case  of 
the  Dutch  bark  Henrietta  Maria,  that  had  been  abandoned  at 
sea  by  her  officers  and  most  of  her  men,  and  brought  into  that 
port  by  the  American  ship  Cceur  de  Lion,  in  a  perilous  and 
constructively. piratical  condition,  for  adjudication.  The  diffi 
culty  was  one  of  salvage  with  the  British  civil  officer,  and  in 
volved  a  somewhat  lengthened  correspondence  between  the 
Governor  of  Singapore,  Edward  A.  El un dell,  Esq.,  and  the 
commander  of  the  Portsmouth.  This  business  being  attended 
to  with  his  usual  thoroughness,  Foote  set  sail  May  21st  for 
Bangkok,  taking  on  board  Dr,,  Bradley,  bearer  of  the  treaty  to 
the  King  of  Siam.  While  at  Bangkok  the  officers  of  the 
Portsmouth  were  presented  to  both  kings,  and  were  treated 
with  the  highest  consideration. 

The  second  king  of  Siam  having  made  many  inquiries  about 
the  ship,  and  manifesting  a  good  deal  of  interest  in  ordnance 
and  fire-arms,  Commander  Foote  invited  him  to  visit  the  ves 
sel,  which  he  did,  although  this  was  the  first  time  that  a  king 
of  Siam  had  been  aboard  a  foreign  man-of-war.  The  king 
came  down  from  Bangkok,  forty  miles,  to  where  the  Ports 
mouth  was  anchored,  with  a  suite  of  twenty  princes  and  no 
bles,  and  remained  during  the  day.  A  grand  banquet,  taxing 
the  artistic  powers  of  the  Portsmouth'^  this  line  to  the  ut 
most,  was  got  up  for  the  occasion. 

The  treaties  of  Siam  with  the  United  States,  England,  and 
France  are  fast  developing  the  agricultural  resources  of  the 
country,  especially  the  culture  of  sugar ;  and  Commander 
Foote  remarks :  "  It  is  due  to  the  American  missionaries  to 
say  that,  owing  to  their  indirect  influence,  favorable  treaties 
have  been  negotiated.  Previously  to  their  coming,  the  Siamese 


Visit  to  Japan.  129 


were  almost  as  exclusive  in  their  commercial  policy  as  the 
Japanese.  Our  consul,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Mattoon,  in  consequence 
of  his  personal  popularity  with  the  kings  and  officers  of  state, 
his  knowledge  of  the  language  and  business  habits,  has  exer 
cised  a  stronger  influence  upon  the  government  and  people 
than  any  other  foreigner,  and  to  him  we  are  chiefly  indebted 
for  the  good  opinion  of  Americans  which  prevails  in  Siam." 
While  in  Siam,  Foote  visited  the  missionaries  in  state,  in  order 
that  the  natives  might  be  led  to  pay  them  more  respect. 

The  Portsmouth  returned  to  Hong-Kong,  arriving  on  the 
26th  of  June,  whence  she  departed  a  second  time  for  Shang- 
Ha'i,  to  carry  Consul  Bradley  to  that  post.  After  dry-docking 
and  repairs  at  Shang-Ha'i,  the  good  ship,  which  had  seen  such 
continual  service,  meeting  in  these  long  voyages  in  the  China 
seas  many  severe  storms  and  typhoons,  and  once  being  aground 
in  a  dangerous  condition  in  the  Min  River,  set  sail  from  Shang- 
Hai  on  the  22d  of  August  for  Simoda  and  Hakodadi  in  Japan. 
The  day  before  reaching  Simoda,  breakers  ahead  were  discov 
ered  in  latitude  34°  14'  K,  longitude  138°  IT  E.,  not  laid 
down  in  the  charts,  and  were  named  "  Portsmouth  Breakers." 
If  they  had  been  running  at  night,  the  cruise  of  the  Ports 
mouth  would  have  been  brought  to  an  abrupt  termination. 
Commander  Foote  says  of  Simoda : 

"  The  appearance  of  Simoda,  in  fact  the  entire  country  around,  is  beau 
tiful.  Deep  ravines  lie  between  the  mountain  ranges,  while  the  highly 
cultivated  terraced  fields  stretch  up  to  the  very  hill-tops.  Again,  green 
thickets  were  seen  creeping  up  the  valleys ;  and  lawns  of  verdant  turf 
here  and  there  overlapped  the  precipices.  The  town  added  no  beauty  to 
the  scenery.  As  soon  as  we  had  anchored,  a  large  boat  came  alongside, 
with  four  officials  high  in  rank,  who  in  the  name  of  the  governors — bear 
in  mind  the  duality  of  the  Japanese — gave  us  a  courteous  and  cordial 
welcome.  These  representatives  were  inquisitive,  and  manifested  a  de 
gree  of  intelligence  corresponding  to  their  courtesy.  We  were  favorably 
impressed  with  the  cleanliness  of  the  officials  and  of  their  men  and  boat, 
which  their  '  celestial'  neighbors  might  do  well  to  copy." 


1 30  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

Many  incidental  remarks  occur  in  Foote's  journal  respect 
ing  the  Japanese,  whom  he  seems  to  have  studied,  and  their 
history,  with  great  interest  in  the  brief  time  he  was  in  Japan 
— some  of  which  seem  almost  to  have  suggested  the  wonderful 
development  of  that  people  in  these  late  years.  He  writes 
that  on  a  visit  to  the  Governor  of  Simoda,  "  one  of  them  re 
marked  that  he  hoped  the  day  was  not  far  distant  when  the 
Japanese  would  visit  America;  they  readily  admit  our  supe 
riority,  and  seem  to  be  strongly  impressed  by  our  country." 
Hakodadi  was  also  visited,  which  place  pleased  the  commander 
even  better  than  Simoda.  He  remarks  upon  its  spacious  har 
bor,  completely  land-locked,  and  capable  of  containing  two 
hundred  sail  in  an  anchorage  of  from  five  to  twelve  fathoms. 
He  thought  it  the  most  desirable  harbor,  in  point  of  security 
and  health,  for  a  man-of-war  that  he  had  ever  visited.  Its  po 
sition  in  relation  to  California,  and  to  Russia  and  the  Amoor 
River,  make  it  a  port  of  trade  and  supply  of  great  importance 
to  our  government,  far  preferable  to  Simoda,  whose  harbor  is 
too  small  to  admit  of  more  than  five  or  six  vessels  obtaining  a 
good  anchorage.  A  feast  was  given  to  the  Governor  of  Ha 
kodadi  and  his  suite  on  board  ship>  where  the  oblique-eyed 
natives  did  straight  justice  to  their  fare,  and  handled  knife 
and  fork,  with  an  intuitive  dexterity.  The  hospitality  was  not, 
however,  very  generously  returned.  The  supply  of  bullocks 
fell  short,  and  since,  as  Commander  Foote  remarks,  "beef 
sometimes  involves  a  principle,"  a  peremptory  demand  for 
fresh  beef,  with  the  guns  of  the  Portsmouth  to  back  it,  brought 
at  once  an  abundant  supply.  Our  hero  was  shorter  than  some 
in  his  diplomacy  with  the  Orientals,  and,  it  may  be  added, 
more  successful.  After  placing  a  buoy  at  the  termination  of 
the  spit  which  forms  the  harbor  of  Hakodadi,  rendering  the 
entrance  easier  than  when  Commodore  Perry  visited  this  port, 
Foote  sailed  for  Hong-Kong,  which  he  reached  October  26th, 
after  a  passage  of  sixteen  days.  On  his  passage,  he  speaks  of 


Correspondence  with  the  Kings  of  Siam.      1 3 1 

the  phosphorescent  appearance  of  the  sea  in  a  heavy  gale  of 
wind  at  night  as  resembling  immense  banks  or  shoals  of  snow 
in  constant  motion.  At  Hong-Kong  he  learned  of  the  fall  of 
Delhi,  and  of  the  approaching  end  of  the  Indian  rebellion. 
While  lying  here  he  also  received  an  interesting  letter  from 
the  second  king  of  Siam,  the  English  of  which  is  remarkably 
good.  In  his  answer  to  this  royal  epistle,  he  says :  "  It  is  im 
possible  to  say  where  we  shall  cruise  for  the  future.  We  all 
hope  to  go  home  in  the  course  of  five  or  six  months.  A  sea- 
life  is  monotonous  as  well  as  dangerous  in  these  seas  of  ty 
phoons  and  currents  and  shoals.  I  presume  that  your  majesty 
will  cruise  about  the  Gulf  of  Siam  in  the  man-of-war  yacht. 
You  will  certainly  work  chronometer  and  meridian  observa 
tions  well.  You  will  also  take  lunar  observations.  The  vessel 
will  be  as  well  navigated  as  any  in  the  China  seas  should  your 
majesty  handle  the  instruments."  Our  bluff  sailor  knew  how 
to  pay  a  compliment  when  the  time  for  it  came.  A  letter  was 
addressed  by  him  to  the  first  king  of  Siam  in  acknowledg 
ment  of  the  gift  of  a  gold  and  silver  cigar-case,  which  was 
accompanied  by  an  autograph  letter ;  and  still  another  epistle 
to  the  second  king,  dated  January  11, 1858,  informing  him  of 
the  bombardment  and  capture  of  Canton  by  the  combined 
forces  of  the  English  and  French,  with  a  stately  letter  from 
the  first  king,  received  during  the  civil  war  in  America,  de 
ploring  the  war,  but  giving  all  his  sympathies  to  the  cause  of 
the  Union,  closed  this  curious  correspondence,  which  seems  to 
have  originated  purely  from  personal  liking  or  friendship,  and 
had  nothing  of  an  official  character. 

In  December,  185Y,  the  Portsmouth  ran  twice  over  to  Macao, 
once  to  carry  Mr.  Reed,  the  American  minister,  and  suite,  and 
a  second  time  to  protect  American  citizens  during  the  assault 
of  the  English  forces  on  Canton.  In  February,  Commander 
Foote  left  Hong-Kong  for  Manilla,  and  there  quite  unexpected 
ly  received  orders  for  home.  He  sailed  March  5th  for  Anjer, 


132  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

island  of  Java,  where  the  ship  took  in  water  and  supplies ; 
thence  to  St.  Helena ;  and  from  St.  Helena  to  Portsmouth, 
New  Hampshire,  United  States,  where  they  arrived  on  Sunday, 
June  13th,  1858,  having  sailed  since  leaving  the  United  States 
more  than  forty-nine  thousand  miles. 

A  few  letters,  written  and  received  during  her  home  voyage, 
will  conclude  the  narrative  of  the  eventful  cruise  of  the  Ports 
mouth. 

"  U.  S.  SHIP  '  PORTSMOUTH,'  } 

"  At  sea,  lat.  5°  S.,  long.  107°  E.,  March  23, 1858.  ) 

"  MY  DEAR  WIFE, — We  ought  three  days  ago  to  have  been  in  Anjer, 
and  been  ready  with  our  water  and  chickens  to  leave '  Java  Head,'  home 
ward  bound  via  St.  Helena.  We  hurried  off  from  Manilla  in  order  to  save 
the  monsoon  and  avoid  the  coming  typhoons.  The  latter  we  must  be  ex 
posed  to  when  off  the  Mauritius,  Isle  of  France.  The  commodore  and  Mr. 
Reed  sent  me  two  handsome  letters.  I  left  the  squadron  on  the  best  of 
terms.  We  ran  under  the  commodore's  stem,  and  gave  him  three  cheers, 
and  then  hauled  up  the  courses  and  fired  a  salute ;  then  ran  under  the 
Minnesota's  stern,  and  they  gave  us  three  cheers,  which  we  heartily  answer 
ed  ;  and  then,  in  the  dark  night,  we  stood  out  for  the  narrow  entrance 
into  the  bay,  and  passed  it  at  daylight  next  morning.  I  had  but  little  sleep. 
We  have  had  light  winds,  making  only  one  hundred  miles  on  an  average 
daily.  I  was  up  all  night  in  running  through  Gaspar  Strait — intricate 
navigation.  Next  day,  Sunday,  read  service  and  a  sermon  on  deck,  and 
delivered  a  lecture  at  berth-deck  service.  We  hope  to  anchor  to-morrow, 
when  I  will  resume  this.  Write  on  the  20th  of  June,  and  address  the  letter 
to  me  at  Portsmouth  Navy  Yard,  New  Hampshire.  Tell  Mr.  Bacon  that 
I  have  written  to  have  his  things  sent  on  to  New  York  by  the  San  Jacinto. 
Of  course,  we  did  not  expect  to  go  home  before  returning  to  Hong-Kong, 
or  I  should  have  taken  his  things  on  board.  I  wished  myself  to  return 
to  Hong-Kong  in  order  to  buy  some  china,  grass-cloth  handkerchiefs,  and 
other  things.  But  if  we  had  gone  back,  it  would  have  delayed  us  three 
months.  I  feel  very  anxious  to  have  to  wait  until  six  months  expire  with 
out  hearing  from  you.  I  commend  you  all  to  God's  grace.  I  would  have 
addressed  this  to  Josephine,  but  your  name  was  down  before  I  was  aware 
of  it.  Tell  her  it  is  for  you  both.  You  will  receive  a  bill  in  my  name 
for  seven  hundred  dollars.  I  have  certainly  economized  to  the  utmost 
this  cruise — hardly  keeping  up  my  position." 


Correspondence.  133 


"Anjer,  March  25, 1858. — "We  arrived  early  this  morning,  and,  as  you 
may  imagine,  in  these  straits  of  tacks  and  shoals  I  was  up  most  of  the 
squally  night.  We  are  nineteen  and  a  half  days  from  Manilla,  but  have 
beaten  the  clipper  ships,  one  of  which  I  wrote  you  sailed  eight  days  be 
fore  us,  and  is  not  here  yet.  I  ran  inside  of  all  the  shipping,  and  the  cap 
tain  of  the  port  says  I  am  rather  close  to  the  shore. 

"  We  hear  that  an  attempt  has  been  made  on  Louis  Napoleon's  life, 
also  that  Paulding  has  seized  Walker.  I  go  ashore  to  breakfast  with  the 
port  officer.  We  sail  to-night  or  at  daylight  in  the  morning.  May  God 
watch  over  you  and  the  dear  children,  and  enable  us  to  meet  and  see 
each  other.  I  wish  the  boys  were  here  to  see  the  monkeys  and  parrots, 
and  eat  the  pine-apples  and  other  fruit.  A  splendid  banyan-tree  that 
would  cover  your  garden  is  close  at  hand.  There  is  a  delicious  sensation 
in  this  balmy  climate  and  tropical  scenery." 

" '  SAN  JACINTO,'  MANILLA,  March  4, 1858. 

"  MY  DEAR  FOOTE, — Our  association  afloat  on  duty  has  been  very  short, 
but  has  been  rendered  by  you  so  agreeable  that  I  could  wish  it  were  to  be 
longer ;  but  the  wish  could  be  scarcely  generous,  as  you  leave  the  arid 
shores  of  China  for  happy  old  Connecticut  and  your  family.  I  wish  you 
with  all  my  heart  a  happy  reunion  with  them,  and  I  trust  that  your  good 
ship,  in  which  you  have  so  long  and  so  faithfully  served,  may  prove  true 
to  you  to  the  last. 

"My  kindest  regards  and  remembrance  to  your  family,  and  believe 

me,  very  sincerely  your  friend, 

"  JOSIAH  TATNALL,  Commodore. 

"  Captain  Andrew  H.  Foote,  U.  S.  Ship  Portsmouth." 

"  DEAR  SIR, — Pray  add  to  your  autographs  this  most  earnest  expression 
of  my  gratitude  for  all  you  have  done  and  all  you  are  going  to  do  for  me 
and  mine.  I  am  a  good  deal  disturbed  at  parting  with  my  son — more 
than  I  thought  I  should  be ;  but  my  decision  is  a  wise  one,  for  all  reason 
ing  fails  if  three  months'  association  with  you,  and  such  as  you  have 
about  you,  do  not  do  him  good.  He  is  a  good-natured  boy,  with  no 
defects  of  temper.  Treat  him,  for  my  sake,  as  a  son,  and  correct  him  if 
he  do  wrong,  which  I  think  he  will  not  do  intentionally.  If  you  are  in 
Philadelphia,  try  to  see  Mrs.  Reed,  who  will  welcome  you  as  my  friend. 
The  record  of  my  good  opinion  is  of  little  value,  but  you  shall  have  it.  It 
is  no  flattery,  but  exact  truth,  that  the  service  has  not  an  officer  better 


1 34  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

worthy  of  confidence  for  any  duty  than  him  to  whom  these  few  words  of 
earnest  farewell  are  written.     God  bless  you,  my  dear  sir. 

"  Ever  truly  yours,  WILLIAM  B.  REED. 

"  To  Captain  A.  H.  Foote,  MANILLA,  March  4th,  1858." 

These  are  extracts  from  Commander  H.  H.  Bell's  letters 
from  Whampoa,  dated  April  and  May : 

"  I  have  visited  the  burying-grounds  three  or  four  times,  and  could  not 
discover  that  the  graves  of  our  dead  had  been  molested  otherwise  than 
by  the  removal  of  the  wooden  head-boards — except  in  one  instance,  where 
three  graves  bordering  upon  a  paddy-field  had  been  dug  away  for  the 
extension  of  said  field ;  the  wretches  betraying  themselves  in  this  pecul 
iarly  Chinese  theft  by  leaving  the  heads  of  the  graves — say  six  inches 
deep — showing  in  the  bank  which  they  had  cut  away,  though  no  part  of 
the  coffins  remain — this  does  not  look  like  malicious  desecration.  Mr. 
Everett's  monument  remains  intact,  having  Chinese  characters  written  on 

it ;  yet  the  grave  of 's  little  boy  is  said  to  have  been  broken 

up.    ,  they  say,  was  much  disliked  by  the  natives.     The  tombs  of 

the  English  were  entirely  destroyed." 

"  I  accompanied  our  consul  as  a  passenger  and  guest ;  the  '  Barrier 
Forts '  are  as  we  left  them,  no  attempt  having  been  made  to  renew  them. 
The  French  frigate  Capricieme  lay  there.  The  city  of  Canton,  along  the 
line  of  the  river  as  well  as  in  the  interior,  is  a  sad  spectacle,  most  of  the 
houses  having  been  deserted,  and  presenting  nothing  but  ruins  and  deso 
lation  to  the  view — the  broken  walls  and  torn  roofs  giving  melancholy 
evidence  of  the  ruthless  bombardments  in  the  several  attacks  on  the  city. 
I  found  the  streets  quite  deserted  for  a  Chinese  city,  the  people  looking 
cowed  and  dejected,  and  apparently  of  the  worst  class.  All  who  were  able 
have  retired  to  the  neighboring  cities  and  villages,  under  the  terror  of 
British  guns." 

"  Weritworth,  the  leper,  whom  you  left  here,  is  said  to  be  a  putrid  mass. 
It  is  feared  we  shall  have  to  receive  him,  for  your  charities  excite  no  little 
feeling  on  the  part  of  those  who  have  to  do  the  nursing." 

We  close  these  two  fighting  Portsmouth  chapters  with  an 
extract  of  a  pleasant  letter  of  Commander  Foote  to  his  eldest 
son,  Augustus,  then  a  little  boy,  dated  Bangkok,  June  7, 1857 : 


Letter  to  his  Son.  135 

"  It  is  not  every  young  gentleman  who  can  say  lie  has  a  correspondent 
in  this  far  land.  Our  sitting  or  reception  room  here  is  sixty  feet  square 
and  thirty-five  feet  high,  with  a  great  deal  of  gilding  about  it,  and  some 
twenty  large  mirrors  on  its  walls.  We  have  every  thing  furnished  us  by 
the  king.  The  attendants  come  in  crawling  on  all  fours,  much  as  Willie 
did  when  he  was  a  baby,  and  then  they  knock  their  heads  on  the  floor  as 
they  approach  you.  The  king  lately  lost  five  hundred  out  of  fifteen  hun 
dred  elephants  in  a  fight.  We  have  put  up  a  flag-pole  in  our  yard  as 
high  as  the  one  on  the  New  Haven  Green,  and  have  hoisted  the  American 
flag  upon  it." 

Recent  occurrences  in  China  have  cast  a  new  light  on  the 
policy  of  foreign  nations  with  that  empire.  It  is  the  testi 
mony  of  intelligent  residents  in  China  who  have  watched  the 
course  of  events,  that  the  failure  of  England  and  France  to 
exact  reparation  on  the  spot  for  injuries  done  by  the  Chinese, 
and  the  reference  of  these  to  the  slow  action  of  diplomacy, 
has  been  totally  misunderstood ;  has  given  the  impression  to 
the  Chinese  that  foreign  nations  were  afraid  of  them,  and 
without  doubt  was  the  real  cause  of  the  late  terrible  massacre. 
This  tends  indirectly  to  the  justification  (if  aught  more  were 
needed)  of  the  prompt  action  of  the  commander  of  the  Ports 
mouth  in  attacking  the  Chinese  forts  in  Canton  Eiver. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

CORRESPONDENCE. — BROOKLYN    NAVY    YARD.  —  BEGINNINGS    OF 

STRIFE. 

JUDGED  by  the  estimate  of  ordinary  lives,  a  period  had  now 
come  when  the  subject  of  this  memoir  might  have  retired  hon 
orably  from  public  service  to  a  well-earned  repose.  After 
twenty-one  years  and  three  months  of  wearisome  sea-service, 
under  all  suns  and  climes,  reaping  little  more  from  the  barren 
fields  of  ocean  than  bare  reputation,  this  veteran  wanderer  and 
lighter  might  have  said — 

"Is  there  any  peace 
In  ever  climbing  up  the  climbing  wave?" 

It  is  true  that  the  end  had  come  of  his  actual  sea-life,  but 
something  remained  for  him  to  do  that  was  still  worthier  and 
greater : 

"Old  age  hath  yet  his  honor  and  his  toil; 
Death  closes  all:  but  something  ere  the  end, 
Some  work  of  noble  note,  may  yet  be  done, 
Not  unbecoming  men  that  strove  with  gods." 

A  hearty  letter  from  his  true  friend,  Commodore  Smith, 
greeted  him  in  Portsmouth,  N.  EL,  on  his  return,  congratulat 
ing  him  "  on  the  termination  of  a  successful  cruise,  reflecting 
additional  honor  upon  your  commission  and  character." 

He  did  not  yet  have,  and  probably  never  did  have,  a  dream 
of  idle  ease.  He  wTas  really  too  restlessly  ambitious  a  man  to 
be  inactive ;  though  his  ambition  was  of  a  fine  quality,  ending 
not  in  self,  but  in  the  public  good.  After  a  few  months'  rest 
he  received  an  appointment  to  the  command  of  the  United 


Philanthropic  Labors.  137 

States  Navy  Yard  in  Brooklyn,  K  Y.,  October  26, 1858.  Be 
fore  he  entered  upon  the  duties  of  this  station,  while  at  his 
home  in  New  Haven,  and  also  during  the  time  he  lived  in 
Brooklyn,  his  thoughts  were  much  engrossed  in  public  affairs 
— benevolent,  religious,  and  political.  His  correspondence, 
which  was  naturally  for  the  most  part  professional,  and  con 
cerned  itself  with  matters  which  had  engaged  his  mind  in  the 
past,  still  had  the  great  objects  of  the  public  welfare  in  view. 
He  wrote  and  spoke  much  on  the  subject  of  the  suppression 
of  the  slave-trade. 

His  grand  panacea,  which  was  good  as  far  as  it  went,  and 
to  which  he  clung  until,  with  thousands  of  others,  he  was 
taught  a  better  lesson,  was  African  colonization.  He  was, 
however,  persevering  in  his  collection  of  facts,  and  in  his  ap 
peals  to  the  government  on  the  subject  of  a  vigorous  suppres 
sion  of  the  trade  at  its  original  source,  the  African  coast.  He 
thought  that  the  responsibility  rested  in  a  great  measure  with 
our  country.  He  would  have  our  government,  like  England, 
cleanse  its  hands  of  all  that  iniquity,  and,  having  clean  hands, 
it  could  act  with  power  with  other  nations  in  its  negotiations 
on  this  subject.  One  of  his  correspondents,  Captain  Le  Roy, 
commanding  the  steamer  Mystic,  then  cruising  off  the  African 
coast,  seems  to  have  had  less  confidence  than  himself  in  the 
pure  benevolence  of  England.  This  officer  thus  writes : 

"  I  like  your  article  much,  and  when  I  fall  in  with  Calhoun  and  Godon, 
will  send  it  to  them.  I  believe  a  few  more  such  articles  will  have  the 
effect  of  drawing  public  attention  in  such  a  way  toward  this  nefarious 
traffic  as  may  cause  the  establishing  of  measures  to  break  it  up.  I  regret 
that  my  response  to  your  inquiry  about  the  palm-oil  in  the  Congo  should 
have  been  incorrect ;  but,  as  I  subsequently  stated,  palm-oil  within  the 
last  year  has  begun  to  be  an  article  of  manufacture  and  export  from  the 
Congo.  With  regard  to  the  '  right  of  search,'  as  a  general  rule  I  am  op 
posed  to  its  exercise  by  foreign  vessels,  especially  by  our  English  breth 
ren.  I  must  confess  that,  with  all  my  regard  for  John  Bull,  I  am  not  so 
perfectly  satisfied  that  he  would  always  do  the  clean  thing,  and  unless  he 


138  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

were  held  to  a  strict  accountability,  our  legitimate  traders  might  be  sub 
jected  to  great  annoyances. 

"  As  to  the  idea  of  the  suppression  of  the  slave-trade  being  a  matter  of 
philanthropy  with  Master  John,  I  don't  believe  it,  and  I  do  not  believe 
one  hundredth  part  of  the  zeal  would  be  exhibited  by  him  if  he  did  not 
receive  so  much  per  ton  for  every  vessel  captured,  and  so  much  a  head  for 
every  slave ;  in  fact,  I  have  known  an  English  captain  honestly  to  confess 
that  he  came  out  here  to  make  money ;  and  when  it  has  been  suggested 
that  it  would  be  a  good  plan  to  put  an  officer  and  boat's  crew  from  an 
English  man-of-war  aboard  of  our  ships,  and  the  opposite,  so  as  to  make 
possible  the  more  complete  identification  and  interruption  of  the  illegal 
traffic,  the  response  has  been,  *  But  will  you  share  prize-money  with  us  ?' 
Prize-money  is  what  they  are  after,  and  without  it  poor  nig  may  be  a 
slave  to  the  end  of  his  life  for  all  they  care.  As  to  cruising  in  company 
with  our  vessels,  they  do  not  wish  it.  If  there  is  a  suspicious  craft  about 
that  will  not  deny  its  American  nationality,  so  as  to  enable  Master  John 
to  seize  him,  he  will  possibly,  in  the  exercise  of  his  magnanimity,  dis 
cover  that '  the  grapes  are  sour,'  and  inform  one  of  our  cruisers ;  but  if  the 
fellow  has  cargo  aboard,  he  will  endeavor  to  persuade  him  to  haul  down 
his  flag  and  deny  his  nationality  by  promising  to  let  him  land,  or  work 
upon  his  fears  by  threatening  to  hand  him  over  to  some  American  man- 
of-war.  Of  course,  knowing  his  offense  is  punishable  by  our  laws  with 
death,  the  slaver  does  not  long  hesitate.  We  must  change  our  laws  upon 
the  subject.  It  must  no  longer  be  declared  piracy,  and  punishable  with 
death,  but  a  penal  offense.  Does  it  ever  occur  to  the  vaunters  of  British 
philanthropy  that  few  or  none  of  all  the  slaves  captured  by  British  cruis 
ers  ever  return  to  their  native  soil — that  they  are  taken  to  British  colonies 
and  apprenticed  ?  And  what  is  the  nature  of  that  apprenticeship  ?  Poor 
abused  Brother  Jonathan  puts  his  big  hand  into  his  pocket  and  sends 
captured  slaves  back  to  Africa,  and  supports  them  there  until  they  can 
do  something  for  themselves ;  yet  honest  old  John,  who  steals  the  slaves 
from  the  slavers,  and  calls  them  apprentices,  rolls  up  his  eyes  and  groans 
over  American  insincerity  in  countenancing  the  slave-trade,  and  thinks 
complacently  of  how  much  he  is  doing  for  the  suffering  negro  race.  Our 
friend  Monsieur  goes  to  work  systematically,  and  has  extensive  and  com 
fortable  barracoons  put  up ;  Twys  his  apprentices,  and  has  them  decently 
cared  for,  and  sent  in  a  regular  way  to  his  colonies.  Though  called 
apprentices,  they  are  still  slaves.  For  some  time  past  a  great  rivalry 
has  existed  between  the  French  factories  and  the  slave-traders,  which 


Philanthropic  Labors.  139 

has  resulted  in  the  price  of  slaves  advancing  some  fifty  or  a  hundred 
per  cent." 

This  writer,  as  well  as  Captain  (afterward  Commodore) 
Borneo,  his  other  correspondent  from  Africa,  constantly  ex 
press  to  Captain  Foote  the  obligations  of  those  actually  en 
gaged  in  the  work  of  putting  a  stop  to  the  African  slave-trade 
to  himself  for  what  he  had  done,  and  evidently  regard  him  as 
authority  on  all  these  questions.  He  did  what  he  could.  He 
worked  and  watched  at  sea,  and  wrote  and  agitated  on  shore ; 
and  if  his  views  were  not  always  the  most  comprehensive,  he 
must  be  looked  upon  as  one  who  with  an  untiring  life-long 
zeal  labored  for  the  happiness  of  the  colored  race. 

In  the  temperance  reform,  especially  among  seamen,  and  in 
purely  religious  matters,  he  remained  true  to  his  convictions ; 
and  he  seemed  to  delight  in  the  opportunity  of  being  at  home 
once  more,  in  order  to  throw  himself  into  these  good  works. 
In  private  religious  meetings  his  voice  was  heard  in  exhorta 
tion.  One  of  his  warm-hearted  naval  friends  writes  to  him 
from  Cincinnati  in  the  midst  of  the  revival  scenes  of  1858 : 

"  While  voices  from  multitudes  are  going  up  from  this  goodly  land  in 
praise  and  blessing  for  the  outpourings  of  His  Holy  Spirit  in  these  days 
on  our  country,  I  was  sure  you  would  be  glad  to  hear  mingling  with 
them  a  voice  from  the  ocean.  I  was  enabled  this  morning  by  strength 
from  above  to  stand  up  and  speak — to  speak  about  our  glorious  ship ;  to 
do  what  you,  sir,  have  done  and  are  doing.  I  should  like  to  receive 
from  you  a  letter  on  the  subject  of  religion  among  us  sea-faring  men — 
of  this  n6w  and  wonderful  working  of  God's  Spirit  with  us  as  well  as 
ashore.  How  they  would  rejoice  to  hear  from  an  experienced  head  and 
Christian  heart  tidings  of  these  things,  and  would  thank  God  and  take 
courage." 

"While  in  charge  at  Brooklyn,  Commander  Foote  established 
and  carried  on,  as  he  did  in  former  years  at  the  Philadelphia 
and  Boston  Yards,  a  regular  system  of  religious  instruction 
and  of  mission-schools  among  the  operatives  of  the  Yard,  and 


140  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

in  the  neglected  outlying  districts;  and  there  are  many  poor 
families,  sailors,  and  workingmen  now  living  in  and  about  that 
neighborhood  to  testify  of  the  good  that  he  did  to  their  bodies 
and  souls  during  his  brief  military  rule  at  the  New  York  har 
bor.  In  the  winter  of  1859-60  there  was  quite  an  interest  in 
religious  matters  on  board  the  receiving-ship  North  Carolina, 
and  a  prayer-meeting  was  held  nightly  for  months  on  the  or 
lop-deck  of  that  vessel,  upon  which  meeting  Foote  was  a  reg 
ular  attendant;  and  so  frank,  cordial,  and  confiding,  as  well 
as  energetic,  was  the  tone  of  his  piety,  and  his  efforts  for  the 
spiritual  good  of  others  were  so  earnest,  that  he  was  thought 
to  be  immediately  instrumental  in  the  conversion  of  many. 
He  believed  in  George  Herbert's  words — 

"Be  useful  where  thou  livest." 

He  did  not  wait  for  impossibilities  to  clear  up  like  mists,  but 
he  steered  straight  into  and  through  them.  He  began  to  do 
what  he  could.  He  saw  no  impossibilities.  Difficulties  acted 
upon  him  like  stimulants.  His  methods  were  old  and  unva 
ried,  but  he  believed  in  them,  and  he  applied  them  unhesitat 
ingly.  He  meant  to  regulate  matters,  to  begin  the  work  of 
improvement,  to  clear  away  old  abuses,  and  leave  the  world 
better  than  he  found  it;  and  his  grand  principle  of  action  was 
to  begin  at  once  at  the  religious  nature,  and  try  to  implant  a 
new  life  there. 

One  of  his  old  Portsmouth  officers  (Pendleton  G.  Wat- 
mough),  about  to  leave  the  Navy,  writes : 

"  It  is  a  long  parting  from  one  who  represents  all  that  is  good  in  a 
service  where  I  have  spent  seventeen  years ;  and  though  about  leaving 
it,  I  shall  always  cherish  a  remembrance,  and  a  fond  one,  of  my  associa 
tions  with  many  in  it— particularly  of  our  brilliant  cruise  in  the  '  saucy 

Portsmouth:  "* 

*  In  the  same  year  of  the  return  of  the  Portsmouth,  a  neat  and  hand 
some  monument,  designed  by  a  New  York  artist,  costing  $1000,  whicli 
was  contributed  "  by  their  shipmates  "  of  the  San  Jacinto,  Portsmouth,  and 


Correspondence.  1 4 1 


Another  fellow-officer  of  the  East  India  cruise,  Captain 
Macomb,  writes : 

"  The  men  like  to  hear  of  you.  They  know  that  you  afforded  them  all 
the  '  pigeon,'  as  they  call  it,  on  the  cruise,  and  that  you  had  full  swing  in 
that  squadron.  The  old  Portsmouthers  are  proud  of  being  remembered 
by  Captain  Foote.  Could  you  not  write  to  them,  and  give  them  some  of 
your  good  advice  ?" 

Commodore  Smith  sends  a  characteristic  letter,  which  may 
serve  to  diversify  this  uneventful  but  by  no  means  unprofita 
ble  portion  of  Commander  Foote's  life : 

"WASHINGTON,  February  4, 1860. 

"MY  DEAR  CAPTAIN, — Yours  of  yesterday's  date,  with  a  douceur  for 
Anna,  just  received.  She  is  a  sturdy  beggar,  and  seems  to  think  the  or 
phans  are  especially  under  her  charge.  The  object  is  good — none  bet 
ter  ;  but  I  have  cautioned  her  against  troubling  my  non-Catholic  friends 
to  contribute  to  Tier  Catholic  charities.  She  gets  enough  out  of  me  to 
suffice  for  the  Protestant  part  of  the  Navy.  But  as  you  seem  to  be  so 
popular  with  the  ladies,  it  emboldens  them  to  take  liberties.  You  are 
more  liberal  than  I  should  be  under  similar  circumstances.  My  opinion 
is  favorable  to  the  institution  of  widows'  and  orphans'  homes  of  all  re 
ligions.  Nevertheless  I  bear  in  mind  what  my  priest  reads  at  our  offer 
tory — '  Never  turn  your  face  from  any  poor  man.  If  you  have  no  penny 
to  give,  hear  his  story  and  judge  charitably.'  You  are  a  good  Samar 
itan.  You  not  only  give  the  pennies,  but  you  pour  the  oil  and  wine 
of  consolation  into  the  wounds  of  the  conscience  and  heart.  I  wish  I 
were  so  endowed ;  but  I  am  not.  I  do  not  possess  the  quality  of  pathos 
which  brings  the  stray  sheep  into  the  fold  again.  Such  sacred  oratory  is 
rare.  It  is  not  taught  at  the  forum  nor  learned  in  the  pulpit,  but  in  pri 
vate,  with  '  labor  and  intercourse  with  men.'  Go  on  in  your  course.  If 
your  military  commission  should  fail  you  in  any  sense,  your  zeal  and 
ability  to  teach  and  speak  will  not.  At  last  a  Speaker  is  chosen.  Next 

Levant,  was  erected  in  the  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard  to  the  memory  of  those 
who  fell  in  the  capture  of  the  Canton  "  Barrier  Forts."  The  names  of 
these  are  inscribed  upon  the  monument,  with  a  representation  of  the 
ships  and  the  forts,  with  flags,  wreaths,  and  other  appropriate  devices. 
It  is  one  of  the  finest  marine  monuments  in  the  country,  and  forms  an 
interesting  feature  of  the  Yard. 

K 


142  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

week  I  presume  Congress  will  proceed  to  business,  after  squandering  two 
months  in  nonsensical  squabbling.  We  hope  a  calm  may  succeed  the 
storm ;  in  the  nature  of  things  it  must ;  but  the  storm  will  not  subside 
until  after  March,  1861.  I  have  no  Navy  news.  I  hear  a  vessel  is  to  sail 
next  Tuesday  for  Brazil.  You  must  be  getting  slack  of  work  at  your 
Yard,  which  will  make  you  uneasy.  Yours  truly,  in  haste, 

"JOSEPH  SMITH. 
"  Captain  A.  H.  Foote,  U.  S.  Navy  Yard,  New  York." 

There  is  a  new  and  separate  phase  of  Admiral  Foote's  life 
which  it  would  be  interesting  to  dwell  upon,  but  which  we 
would  only  indicate  here.  A  large  portion  of  the  document 
ary  matter  left  by  him  is  taken  up  with  bulky  notes  of  court- 
martials  in  which  he  was  personally  engaged,  both  while 
stationed  on  shore  and  while  at  sea.  Owing  to  his  great  prac 
tical  energy  and  executive  talent,  he  was  often  called  upon  to 
act  as  the  presiding  officer  in  these  courts ;  and  owing  also,  it 
must  be  confessed,  to  his  exceptionally  rigid  ideas  of  disci 
pline,  he  was,  in  his  own  command,  sometimes  involved  in  bit 
ter  controversies  and  litigations  with  officers.  While  he  went  to 
the  root  of  matters — while  he  was  searching  and  unsparing, 
and  perhaps  even  at  times  erring  in  severity  whenever  insub 
ordination,  disrespect,  and  wrong  was  to  be  dealt  with,  never 
swerving  for  fear  of  making  an  enemy — he  was  unusually  hu 
mane  where  infirmities  of  character  were  involved,  especially 
among  common  sailors,  so  that  he  was  considered  to  be  quite 
democratic,  or  too  much  inclined  to  take  the  part  of  the  sea 
man,  or  apprentice,  or  petty  officer  who  was  delinquent.  He 
was,  in  fact,  rather  too  popular  among  the  men  for  the  aristo 
cratic  standard  of  the  officers  of  the  Navy.  He  befriended, 
encouraged,  and  defended  those  whom  he  thought  had  no 
friends.  This  trait  is  noticed  by  one  of  his  brother -officers, 
who  says : 

"  I  am  very  much  grieved  that  your  purser  is  '  infirm  of  purpose.'  I 
feel  assured  you  have  done  your  duty  toward  him,  and  that  your  kind 


Educational  •  Matters. 


feeling  for  the  weaknesses  of  the  weak — a  characteristic  point  in  you — 
lias  rather  prompted  you  to  go  further  in  covering  this  vulnerable  spot 
than  many  others  would." 

As  it  is  not  desirable  to  stir  up  old  controversies  which  have 
now  entirely  passed  away,  it  does  not  seem  necessary  to  men 
tion  particular  instances  of  court-martial  trials  in  which  Foote 
was  conspicuous  at  the  time ;  merely  saying  that  his  firmness 
and  general  impartiality,  with  now  and  then  a  singular  dis 
play  of  roundabout  good  sense  and  kindly  tact,  are  noticeable 
in  the  history  of  these  oftentimes  protracted  and  difficult  cases; 
and  from  the  testimony  of  all,  in  this  judicial  or  juridical  de 
partment  of  his  profession  he  was  very  valuable,  having,  in 
deed,  from  a  natural  love  of  controversy,  a  partiality  for  its 
excitements,  and  for  all  its  elaborate  forms  and  details,  though 
he  was  kept  by  his  sound  head  and  good  heart  from  widely 
erring  in  judgment. 

Admiral  Foote  was  a  friend  of  education.  In  a  correspond 
ence  with  Lieutenant  (now  Commodore)  Simpson,  who  was 
then  stationed  as  a  teacher  of  gunnery  at  the  Naval  Academy 
in  Annapolis,  he  defends  the  system  of  professional  instruction 
against  the  vigorous  assaults  of  that  young  officer,  who  was  in 
favor  of  a  more  practical  teaching  by  purely  naval  men  who 
had  seen  actual  service  at  sea.  Foote  expresses  himself  in  fa 
vor  of  a  proper  and  equal  combination  of  the  two  kinds  of 
teachers,  thereby  securing  a  thorough  and  scientific  training, 
as  a  basis  upon  which  to  build  practical  seamanship.  This  in 
telligent  view,  coming  from  one  so  intensely  practical  as  Cap 
tain  Foote  was,  certainly  shows  comprehensiveness  and  breadth 
of  mind.  He  was,  in  fact,  a  progressive  man  in  all  matters  of 
education,  and  was  never  so  superstitiously  in  love  with  the 
old  as  not  to  seize  with  eagerness  upon  new  methods  and 
ideas,  as  he  did.  for  example,  upon  the  use  of  iron  in  naval 
warfare.  In  fitting  out  the  Portsmouth  for  her  East  India 
cruise,  the  following  letter  was  addressed  by  him  to  the  Sec- 


144  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

retary  of  the  Navy,  which  goes  to  prove  his  hearty  interest  in 
scientific  investigations : 

"  During  the  cruise  of  the  Portsmouth  abundant  opportunities  are  likely 
to  occur  to  make  collections  in  natural  history.  The  surgeon  of  the 
ship,  Dr.  Henderson,  will  collect  specimens  for  the  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences  in  Philadelphia,  and  perhaps  also  for  Yale  College.  It  is  de 
sirable,  therefore,  that  a  copy  of  Professor  Dana's  *  Report  on  Crustacea' 
(Exploring  Expedition  under  Captain  Wilkes)  should  be  in  the  vessel. 
Believing  myself,  in  common  with  two  or  three  scientific  gentlemen  here, 
that  it  will  meet  the  views  of  the  government  to  encourage  officers  to 
contribute  when  abroad  to  the  cause  of  science,  I  respectfully  request 
that  it  may  be  purchased  for  the  use  of  the  Portsmouth  during  her  ap 
proaching  cruise." 

The  letter  of  Lieutenant  Simpson,  shortly  before  referred 
to,  seems  to  have  been  sent  for. perusal  by  Foote  to  his  friend 
Dupont,  and  called  forth  this  expression  in  his  reply : 

,  "  But  let  me  say  how  rejoiced  I  should  be  to  see  you,  my  dear  Foote, 
take  hold  of  this  establishment  (Annapolis  Naval  Academy),  from  which 
the  last  hope  must  spring  of  our  giving  the  country  an  efficient  Navy  by 
rearing  officers  of  capacity  and  moral  worth.  I  have  ever  followed  the 
fortunes  of  the  academy  with  deep  interest,  increased  perhaps  by  the  fact 
that  I  was  a  member  of  the  first  two  boards  which  organized  the  school. 
It  has  steadily  progressed,  like  "West  Point,  which  is  the  creation  of  over 
half  a  century.  Yet  you  would  find  an  abundant  scope  for  your  active 
and  intelligent  energies  in  developing  improvements  still  needed,  and 
which  no  one  man  could  cover  heretofore  in  the  brief  period  allotted 
him  there." 

Both  of  these  gallant  men  were  soon  to  be  summoned  to  a 
more  stirring  and  arduous  service. 

We  have  called  this  brief  period  of  Commander  Foote's 
life — when  he  had  in  charge  the  New  York  Navy  Yard — an 
"uneventful"  one;  but  this  is  not  literally  true.  The  period 
of  great  events  was  rapidly  drawing  on,  and  they  had  already 
begun  to  cast  their  shadows  over  the  scene.  It  was  a  time  of 
agitation  and  popular  excitement.  Those  especially  who  held 


Beginnings  of  Political  Agitation.  145 

offices  of  responsibility  under  the  government  were  compelled 
to  the  exercise  of  constant  watchfulness  from  foes  within  and 
without.  The  trial  time,  in  fact,  of  this  government  was  ap 
proaching.  It  was  to  be  proved  whether  a  republic  was  a 
strong  or  a  weak  government.  It  was  to  be  proved  whether 
there  existed  a  principle  of  vital  national  unity,  or  whether  this 
nation  was  but  a  loose  confederation  of  independent  States, 
bound  together  by  a.  mere  selfish  tie  easily  dissolved.  There 
is  a  principle  of  growth  in  a  nation  as  in  a  man — an  aspira 
tion  toward  a  higher  civilization ;  in  fact,  a  true  moral  life — 
and  it  was  to  be  seen  if  a  century's  apparent  growth  were  no 
true  life  after  all,  but  a  false  existence  and  progress.  Was  it 
a  social  compact  or  a  living  state  ?  Could  the  republic  die  by 
simple  disintegration  or  falling  away  of  disaffected  portions? 
Had  it  a  life  which  was  strong  enough  to  throw  off  corrup 
tion,  and  which  contained  within  itself  the  means  of  its  own 
cure  and  preservation  ? 

The  election  of  Abraham  Lincoln  on  the  6th  of  November, 
1860,  to  the  Presidency,  brought  an  end  to  the  hopes  of  plot 
ters  in  regard  to  the  future  control  of  the  national  govern 
ment  ;  but  they  had  still  six  months  to  work  out  their  schemes 
during  the  waning  administration  of  an  imbecile  executive, 
who  held  the  view  that  it  was  constitutionally  forbidden  to 
protect  the  government  against  rebellion.  Men  in  high  offi 
cial  position  were  busily  engaged  in  secretly  undermining  the 
national  power.  While  faithful  servants,  of  whom  Commander 
Foote  was  one,  were  almost  despairingly  striving  for  the  up 
building  and  concentration  of  the  Navy,  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  was  sending  off  our  ships  to  distant  regions,  or  render 
ing  them  useless  for  defense,  and  an  easy  prey  to  conspirators. 
Both  in  the  Army  and  in  the  Navy  there  were  treacherous  men, 
who  at  heart  were  traitors  while  they  nominally  remained  in 
the  pay  of  a  government  they  had  deliberately  resolved  to  de 
stroy.  Then  came  in  rapid  succession  the  actual  events  of  the 


146  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

Secession  drama — the  withdrawal  of  the  Southern  States  one 
after  another  from  the  Union ;  the  seizing  upon  navy  yards, 
arsenals,  and  forts ;  the  inauguration  of  a  Southern  Confeder 
acy  ;  and  the  open  insults  offered  to  the  national  flag.  At  the 
North  as  well  as  the  South  the  atmosphere  was  surcharged 
with  disloyal  sentiment.  Even  good  men  were  in  a  state  of 
hallucination  in  regard  to  duty.  One  hardly  knew  his  neigh 
bor  for  a  friend  or  a  foe.  Compromise  was  still  the  cry  when 
the  sacred  treasures  and  household  gods  were  stolen  away  by 
bold  enemies  of  the  state. 

President  Lincoln  was  inaugurated  on  the  4th  of  March, 
1861,  in  the  deepest  period  of  gloom.  He  came  to  the  admin 
istration  of  a  government  whose  resources  were  crippled,  and 
which,  indeed,  had  been  rendered  almost  powerless  in  every 
department.  Not  to  speak  of  the  Army,  the  Navy  wras  at  an 
extremely  low  ebb.  Its  vessels  of  war  were  either  away  at 
foreign  ports,  or  those  at  home  were  unready  for  action  and 
but  half-manned.  "  At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1861,  the 
total  Navy  of  the  United  States  was  ninety  vessels,  carrying, 
or  designed  to  carry,  2415  guns.  Of  this  number  only  forty- 
two  were  in  commission.  Twenty-eight  ships,  bearing  in  the 
aggregate  874  guns,  were  lying  in  ports  dismantled,  and  none  of 
them  could  be  made  ready  for  sea  in  less  than  several  weeks' 
time ;  some  of  them  would  require  at  least  six  months."*  The 
most  of  those  in  commission  had  been  sent  away  to  distant 
seas,  and,  with  the  exception  of  the  store-ship  Relief,  of  2 
guns,  the  steam-frigate  Brooklyn,  of  25  guns,  which  had  just 
before  arrived  at  Norfolk  after  a  three-years'  cruise,  was  ab 
solutely  the  only  armed  vessel  on  the  Atlantic  coast ;  and  the 
Brooklyn,  moreover,  drew  too  much  water  to  enter  Southern 
harbors,  or  to  operate  with  efficiency  in  the  first  scenes  of  the 
war.  Many  of  the  naval  officers,  who  were  born  at  the  South 

*  "Lossing's  Civil  War  in  America,1'  vol.  i.,  p.  299. 


Letter  of  S.  F.  Dupont.  147 

left  their  posts  at  the  critical  moment.  No  less  than  sixty,  in 
cluding  eleven  at  the  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis,  resigned 
their  commissions;  and  there  were  also  continual  desertions. 
In  the  Report  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  for  the  next  year 
there  were  two  hundred  and  fifty-nine  desertions  and  dismiss 
als  of  officers  from  the  Navy  alone.  At  length  the  thirteenth 
of  April  and  the  surrender  of  Sumter  awoke  the  country,  and 
the  war  began.  These  are  facts  fresh  in  the  memory  of  this 
generation ;  and  we  live  now  to  bless  the  day  when  the  first 
gun  was  fired  on  Sumter,  whose  flash  opened  the  eyes  of  the 
nation  to  see  its  peril. 

We  subjoin  two  or  three  letters  addressed  to  Commander 
Foote  while  at  the  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard,  from  fellow- officers, 
which  go  to  show  the  intense  disturbance  in  the  Navy  before 
the  war  had  actually  commenced  and  at  its  earliest  begin 
ning,  and  which  also  show  that  there  were  noble  and  loyal 
souls  in  the  Navy  as  well  as  in  the  Army : 

"  NAVY  YARD,  PHILADELPHIA,  January  25, 1861. 

"  MY  DEAR  FOOTE, — I  had  intended  writing  you  a  '  New- Year's '  let 
ter,  but  about  that  time  I  had  many  irons  in  the  fire. 

"A  previous  order  to  that  which  brought  me  here  carried  me  imme 
diately  after  to  Annapolis  as  president  of  an  examination  board.  From 
this  duty  I  only  returned  home  last  Saturday,  finding  our  whole  family 
circle  in  deep  grief  from  the  loss  of  Mrs.  Dupont's  eldest  sister,  who  had 
been  for  many  years  a  second  mother  to  her. 

"  On  reaching  here  on  Tuesday  I  found  your  letter  of  the  16th  instant, 
which  should  have  been  forwarded  to  me  at  Annapolis.  At  that  place 
I  saw  your  friends  the  Rodgerses  and  Simpson,  who  always  spoke  of  you 
with  earnest  admiration,  and  seemed  to  think  the  coast  was  clear  for  you 
to  come  to  the  academy  when  Blake  left. 

"  But,  alas  !  my  dear  friend,  are  we  to  have  any  academy  ?  My  own 
belief  is  that  the  drift  is  all  one  way.  I  have  very  little  more  faith  in  the 
Border  States  than  in  the  Cotton  States ;  there  are  any  number  of  traitors 
in  Maryland.  The  Chief  Justice  is  a  Secessionist. 

"  I  still  hope  against  conviction,  and  that  is  about  all  that  is  left  for  a 
man  to  do. 


148  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

"  We  have  been  living  under  a  delusion  that  we  had  a  national  gov 
ernment,  which  has  toppled  over  at  the  first  breeze ;  and  secession,  dis 
union,  and  treachery  are  made  the  rule  instead  of  the  exception — so  safe 
has  it  been  made  for  a  state  to  go  out  that  the  novelty  alone  encourages 
the  attempt. 

"  What  has  made  me  most  sick  at  heart  is  to  see  the  resignations  from 
the  Navy.  I  had  occasion  to  go  to  Washington  the  last  week  in  No 
vember,  and  was  astounded  to  find  the  extent  of  the  demoralization,  not 
only  in  every  department  of  the  government,  but  among  the  officers  of 
the  Navy.  I  spoke  out  plainly,  I  tell  you ;  told  them  I  had  never  be 
lieved  that  I  had  been  serving  two  masters ;  that  I  had  been  nourished, 
fed,  and  clothed  by  the  general  government  for  over  forty  years ;  paid 
whether  employed  or  not ;  and  for  what  ? — why,  to  stand  by  the  coun 
try,  whether  assailed  by  enemies  from  without  or  from  within ;  that  my 
state  had  had  no  part  or  lot  in  this  support ;  that  my  oath  declared  alle 
giance  to  the  United  States  as  one  to  support  the  Constitution. 

"  But  if  I  feel  sore  at  these  resignations,  what  should  a  decent  man  feel 
at  the  doings  in  the  Pensacola  Navy  Yard  ?  Here  I  can  not  trust  myself 
to  speak ;  and  the  Department  accepting  these  resignations,  not  waiting 
for  a  single  particular  after  hearing  that  the  Yard  had  been  surrendered ! 
So  that,  on  a  reconstruction,  these  two  affairs  will  come  back  into  the 
Navy  by  treaty,  of  course. 

"  Thank  you  for  your  kind  congratulations  about  my  orders  here ;  they 
are  very  acceptable,  particularly  if  we  hold  together. 

"  I  stick  by  the  flag  and  the  national  government  as  long  as  we  have 
one,  whether  my  state  do  or  not,  and  well  she  knows  it. 

"  I  have  Lardner  and  Drayton  in  the  Yard  with  me — nice  men ;  there 
is  no  nonsense  about  the  latter,  though  he  is  from  South  Carolina. 

"  I  have  a  thousand  things  to  tell  you,  but  must  close  for  the  present. 
Please  remember  me  to  Commodore  Breese. 

"  Ever  yours  most  truly,  S.  F.  DUPONT. 

"  Captain  Foote,  U.  S.  N. 

"  I  see  you  had  no  idea  of  being  surprised  by  mobs.  Oh,  why  was 
not  some  one  like  you  at  Pensacola  ?  I  pass  no  judgment  on  the  old 
commodore ;  he  was  in  a  tight  place,  and  if  he  had  only  ironed  well  the 
traitors  under  him  before  he  gave  up,  I  should  have  been  thankful." 


Letter  of  Samuel  Mercer.  149 

"  U.  S.  FRIGATE  '  WABASH,'  HAMPTON  ROADS,  August  7,  1861. 

"•MY  DEAR  FOOTE, — I  received  your  kind  and  very  welcome  letter  by 
the  Rhode  Island,  and  am  thankful  to  you  for  it.  We  met  the  Rhode 
Island  off  the  Frying-Pan  Shoals,  while  we  were  securing  two  vessels  by 
getting  prize-masters  and  crews  on  board  of  them.  One  was  the  Mary 
Allen,  a  prize  to  the  rebel  privateer  Dixie,  and  the  other  an  American 
vessel  under  English  colors,  just  out  from  Wilmington,  North  Carolina. 
These  Englishmen  in  the  rebel  states  are  playing  a  deep  game.  The 
consuls  of  Her  Majesty  are  giving  American  vessels  provisional  regis 
ters,  and  are  loading  them  for  English  ports  with  the  products  of  these 
Southern  States.  I  sent  both  vessels  to  New  York,  but  fear  they  will 
be  recaptured  before  they  get  there.  The  papers  we  received  previous 
to  these  captures  led  me  to  believe  that  our  coast  from  the  capes  of  Vir 
ginia  to  Cape  Fear  was  lined  with  our  cruisers  in  consequence  of  the  ex 
citement  occasioned  by  the  depredations  of  the  Jeff  Dams.  But  on  my 
arrival  here  I  learn  such  is  not  the  case.  Acting  under  my  false  impres 
sion,  I  directed  the  vessels  to  keep  in  shore,  and  if  they  are  not  captured 
it  will  be  a  miracle,  as  I  learn  that  small  privateers  are  ready  at  every 
inlet  along  the  whole  coast  of  North  Carolina  to  run  out  in  a  moment 
and  capture  any  poor  devil  who  may  show  himself  along  the  coast.  I 
begin  to  believe  that  our  press  is  a  curse  to  our  country.  It  was  its  ma 
lign  influence  which  caused  our  disaster  at  Bull  Run.  These  two  cap 
tures  and  touching  on  Frying-Pan  Shoals  without  damage  are  the  events 
of  the  passage  from  Charleston.  I  think  if  we  could  hang  about  half 
a  dozen  editors  and  as  many  members  of  Congress,  we  should  get  along 
better.  I  am  afraid  our  President  is  not  equal  to  the  times,  and  I  begin 
to  think  the  Cabinet  is  badly  constructed.  Seward  seems  to  be  disposed 
to  truckle  to  the  English,  and  the  President  made  a  great  mistake  that 
he  did  not  close  all  the  rebel  ports  entirely  by  an  edict  forbidding  all 
commercial  intercourse  with  them  whatever.  This  would  have  prevented 
Lord  Lyons  and  Mr.  Mercier  troubling  us  about  the  blockade.  It  seems 
to  me  that  the  results  of  our  exertions  are  by  no  means  commensurate 
with  the  enthusiasm  of  our  people  and  the  unlimited  means  placed  at 
the  disposition  of  our  government.  But  I  will  growl  no  more. 

"  I  congratulate  you  most  heartily,  my  dear  Foote,  on  your  promotion. 
Get  a  smart,  active  vessel  at  once,  and  come  and  help  us.  I  wish  you 
would  give  my  love  to  Mrs.  Foote  and  Miss  Josephine,  not  forgetting  the 
smaller  fry,  and  believe  me  most  truly  your  friend, 

"SAMUEL  MERCER. 

"  To  Captain  A.  H.  Foote,  Navy  Yard,  New  York." 


150  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

These  letters,  which  do  honor  to  the  Navy,  might,  if  we 
had  the  room,  be  greatly  multiplied ;  but  we  will  only  add 
the  following  extracts  from  letters  of  a  little  earlier  date 
than  the  preceding,  from  an  officer  who  a  short  time  before 
had  retired  from  the  service  to  become  a  farmer  at  the 
West: 

"  Events  which  have  followed  each  other  for  the  last  month  so  rapid 
ly,  and  all  tending  to  the  disruption  of  our  government,  and  even  the 
bonds  of  society  itself,  have  naturally  turned  every  one's  attention  to  the 
appalling  state  of  aifairs  likely  to  arise  in  the  future.  You  will  not  be 
surprised  to  hear  that  my  desires  look  back  to  my  profession.  My  faith 
in  the  Union  gives  me  an  intense  desire  to  lend  my  service,  such  as  it  is, 
to  the  support  of  the  Constitution.  I  am  most  satisfactorily  situated  here, 
with  excellent  promise  of  future  content  and  of  a  peaceful  and  prosperous 
life,  and  the  idea  of  returning  to  the  Navy  would  otherwise  never  have 
suggested  itself.  I  want  to  hear  from  you  and  get  your  advice.  I  am 
inclined  to  view  the  failure  of  the  Star  of  the  West  to  get  to  her  destina 
tion  as  a  circumstance  reflecting  discredit  upon  the  government.  I  must 
confess  to  having  wished,  with  all  my  heart,  that  your  old  command 
had  been  commissioned  with  that  job.  My  father  says,  '  Oh  that  Foote 
had  had  command  of  that  Star  of  the  WestP  He  feels  keenly  the 
shade  of  indignity  put  upon  his  old  arm  of  the  service,  the  artillery, 
and  hardly  allows  himself  to  speak  of  the  outrage  upon  the  flag  by 
those  crazy  men  at  Charleston.  If  you  hear  of  any  thing  which  would 
argue  a  solid  and  great  action  of  the  Executive  in  defense  of  the  gov 
ernment  which  he  holds  in  his  weak  hands,  let  me  know,  and  I  will 
take  steps."  *  *  * 

"  I  was  much  gratified,  my  dear  captain,  by  the  receipt  of  your  card, 
which  appeared  in  the  Tribune  a  few  days  since.  I  heard  of  it,  and  was 
anxious  to  see  it.  Our  papers  here,  as  well  as  your  own,  were  filled  with 
accounts  of  the  '  Navy  Yard  excitement,'  and  just  such  exaggerated  sen 
sational  articles  as  appear  in  reference  to  any  matter  of  our  day.  I  was 
quite  persuaded,  and  told  my  friends,  that  in  a  few  days  we  would  prob 
ably  arrive  at  the  truth,  and  we  would  then  find  that  '  our  Navy '  had 
done  nothing  subjecting  them  to  ridicule  or  censure.  I  had  almost  de 
termined  to  write  to  you  myself  and  get  the  truth,  when  your  letter  came. 
Allow  me  to  say  it  is  a  characteristic  letter,  just  such  a  one  as  you  can 
write — frank,  good-humored,  truthful,  and  fearless — the  case  made  clear, 


Correspondence.  151 


and  criticism  itself  disarmed.*  Yesterday  I  sent  a  letter  to  the  Presi 
dent,  tendering  my  services  to  the  government  in  my  old  position  as 
lieutenant ;  but  I  will  give  you  the  letter.  My  object  is  to  have  it  on 
file.  It  was  as  follows:  'In  the  spring  of  1859,  when  the  government 
was  at  peace  and  seemed  secure  in  the  loyalty  of  the  people,  I  resigned 
my  commission  as  lieutenant  in  the  Navy,  after  a  service  of  eighteen 
years.  Recent  revolutionary  acts  in  portions  of  the  territory,  and  the 
many  cases  of  desertion  from  the  service,  fill  me  with  a  desire  to  assist  in 
maintaining  the  integrity  of  the  Union  and  the  honor  of  its  flag,  and 
impel  me  to  tender  my  services  to  the  government.  I  am  ready  at  a  mo 
ment's  notice  to  return  to  the  Navy,  should  contingencies  arise  which 
shall  make  my  services  needed.'  The  letter  has  not  been  acknowledged ; 
but  as  the  feeble  individual  at  the  head  of  the  government  seems  to 
have  lost  his  head,  this  carries  no  special  sting.  I  suppose  a  few  days 
will  decide  our  fate  now.  I  await  them  with  intense  impatience.  A 
great  fear  for  Sumter  possesses  the  public  mind  here.  Should  it  fall,  woe 
to  that  old  man  in  his  native  community !" 

"  The  eve  of  the  eventful  day  has  arrived,  and  millions  have  read  the 
inaugural  of  our  new  President.  I  need  hardly  say  that  many  in  this  our 
city  lament  its  tone,  and  show  no  disposition  to  recognize  or  support  the 
high,  and,  in  my  view,  the  only  true  position  assumed  by  him.  For  my 
part,  I  should  heartily  despise  a  government  which  took  other  grounds, 
and  should  despair  of  the  people  who  failed  to  support  it.  My  letter  to 
Buchanan  has  been  passed  by  without  notice.  I  am  ready  to  renew  the 
offer — in  truth,  feel  that  it  is  a  duty  for  every  citizen  to  uphold,  to  the 
whole  extent  of  his  ability,  the  high  position  assumed  by  the  President. 
I  am  willing  to  risk  life  and  all  in  what  seems  to  me  the  only  salvation 
of  the  nation  when  its  integrity  is  attacked.  If  we  shrink  from  the 
execution  of  laws  the  moment  they  are  rebelled  against,  what  is  to  be 
come  of  us  ?  I  despise  such  a  course,  which  causes  a  bitterness  of  feel 
ing  in  me  which  I  never  fancied  I  could  have.  Under  any  party,  I 
would  take  the  same  course  to  give  my  services  to  uphold  the  govern 
ment." 

"  It  would  be  a  happy  day  in  my  life  to  find  myself  once  again  asso 
ciated  with  you  in  upholding  the  honor  and  integrity  of  our  beloved 

*  Reference  here  to  a  letter  of  Captain  Foote's  published  in  the  Brook 
lyn  Eagle  (January  30th),  in  reference  to  a  little  flurry  in  regard  to  the 
alleged  exceeding  of  his  official  authority  for  the  protection  of  the  Navy 
Yard. 


152  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

flag.      Selfishness,  cowardice,  and  depraved  party  necessities  seem  to  be 
arrayed  against  the  purity  and  unity  of  our  once  glorious  nation." 

This  has  the  true  ring.  It  must  have  gone  home  to  the 
heart  of  his  former  commander.  While  it  can  not  be  denied 
that  Foote  struggled  for  a  time,  as  a  great  many  did,  with  the 
political  problems  of  the  hour,  and  even  strove,  as  did  Critten- 
den  and  others,  to  discover  some  impossible  compromise- 
ground,  yet  when  the  time  for  action  came  he  was  found  at 
his  post  of  duty.  He  had  no  hesitation  as  to  his  own  course. 
That  was  clear  as  the  sun  in  heaven.  One  day,  while  dis 
cussing  these  matters  with  his  brother  John,  he  said  :  "  Well, 
brother  John,  tell  me  plainly,  do  you  mean  to  fight  ?  If  you 
don't  mean  to  fight,  then  don't  express  your  opinions  so  loudly. 
As  for  me,  I  intend  to  fight." 

Although  he  had  now  held  for  some  time  the  title  of  cap 
tain,  yet  he  did  not  receive  his  actual  commission  to  the  cap 
taincy  until  June  29, 1861.  His  worth  and  capacity  were  then 
also  fully  recognized.  In  this  hour  of  need  the  government 
gladly  turned  to  him  and  to  the  few  who  were  like  him.  He 
received  an  order,  August  23d,  to  proceed  to  Washington,  and 
report  in  person  to  the  Naval  Department.  He  was  removed 
from  the  Navy  Yard  August  26th,  and  was  appointed  to  the 
command  of  the  naval  operations  in  the  Western  waters. 
The  following  is  the  order  of  his  appointment: 

"  NAVY  DEPARTMENT,  WASHINGTON,  August  30,  1861. 

"  Sm, — You  have  been  selected  to  take  command  of  the  naval  opera 
tions  upon  the  Western  waters,  now  organizing  under  the  direction  of 
the  War  Department. 

"You  will  therefore  proceed  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  with  all  practi 
cal  dispatch,  and  place  yourself  in  communication  with  Major-General 
John  C.  Fremont,  United  States  Army,  who  commands  the  Army  of 
the  West.  You  will  co-operate  fully  and  freely  with  him  as  to  your 
movements. 

"  Requisitions  must  be  made  upon  the  War  Department  through  Gen- 


Transferred  to  the  West  153 

eral  Fremont,  and  whatever  the  Army  can  not  furnish  the  Navy  will  en 
deavor  to  supply,  having  due  regard  to  the  operations  on  the  coast. 

"  The  Western  movement  is  of  the  greatest  importance,  and  the  De 
partment  assigns  you  this  duty,  having  full  confidence  in  your  zeal,  fidel 
ity,  and  judgment.  I  am,  respectfully, 

"  GIDEON  WELLES,  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

"  Captain  Andrew  H.  Foote,  U.  S.  Navy,  Washington,  D.  C." 

As  we  now  commence  a  new  period,  by  far  the  most  im 
portant  and  brilliant  one  of  Admiral  Footers  life,  we  reserve 
further  details  respecting  the  new  field  for  the  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

APPOINTMENT  TO   COMMAND  OF  NAVAL  OPERATIONS   AT  THE  WEST. 
— THE  WESTERN   FLOTILLA. 

THE  official  account  of  Captain  Foote's  appointment  to  the 
command  of  naval  operations  on  the  Western  waters  is  thus 
briefly  given  in  Secretary  Welles's  Report  of  December  1, 
1862: 

"  Besides  these  large  squadrons  on  our  maritime  frontier,  it  became  a 
necessity  at  an  early  period  of  the  insurrection  to  have  an  organized 
naval  force  on  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries.  On  May  16,  1861, 
Commander  John  Rodgers  was  directed  to  report  to  the  War  Depart 
ment,  which  in  the  preliminary  stages  assumed  the  chief  expense,  for  the 
purpose  of  initiating  an  armed  flotilla  on  the  Western  waters,  and  imme 
diately  entered  upon  his  duties.  Proceeding  to  the  West,  he  purchased 
steamers  which,  under  his  supervision,  were  fitted,  armed,  and  armored 
as  gun-boats,  and  thus  was  commenced  the  organization  of  the  Mississip 
pi  flotilla,  which  a  few  months  later  made  itself  felt  in  a  succession  of 
achievements  that  electrified  the  country.  But  before  Commander 
Eodgers  had  an  opportunity  of  completing  his  arrangements  and  taking 
his  vessels  into  action,  he  was  succeeded  by  Captain  A.  H.  Foote,  whose 
energies  and  talents  were  exerted  in  creating  and  preparing  that  Navy  on 
the  Western  waters  which  he  soon  made  so  serviceable  to  the  countrv. 
Painfully  wounded  at  Fort  Donelson,  he  was  relieved  the  9th  of  May  by 
Captain  Charles  H.  Davis,  who  was  soon  after  appointed  Chief  of  the  Bu 
reau  of  Navigation,  and  in  October  relinquished  the  command.  By  or 
der  of  Congress  the  gun-boat  fleet  was  transferred  to  the  Navy,  and  now 
constitutes  an  important  squadron,  under  the  command  of  Acting  Rear- 
Admiral  D.  D.  Porter,  who  entered  upon  his  duties  the  15th  of  October. 

"  When  Flag-Officer  Foote  arrived  at  St.  Louis,  and  on  the  6th  of  Sep 
tember,  1861,  assumed  command  of  the  Western  flotilla,  the  forces  con 
sisted  of  three  wooden  vessels  in  commission,  which  had  been  pur 
chased,  equipped,  and  armed  as  gun-boats  by  Commander  John  Rod- 


Naval  Preparations.  155 

gers ;  and  there  were  nine  iron-clad  gun-boats  and  thirty-eight  inortar- 
boats  in  course  of  construction. 

"  The  service  was  anomalous  in  its  character,  and  there  was  with  many 
great  incredulity  as  to  the  utility  and  practicability  of  gun-boats  in  car 
rying  on  hostilities  on  the  rivers,  where  it  was  believed  batteries  on  the 
banks  could  prevent  their  passage.  There  were  also  embarrassments  for 
want  of  funds  and  of  material  for  naval  purposes,  there  being  no  Navy 
Yard  or  naval  de"pot  on  the  Western  waters.  All  these  difficulties  were 
met  and  surmounted  by  the  energetic  and  efficient  officer  to  whom  the 
duty  was  intrusted,  whose  perseverance  and  courage  in  overcoming  the 
obstacles  that  impeded  and  retarded  his  operations  in  creating  a  river 
Navy  were  scarcely  surpassed  by  the  heroic  qualities  displayed  in  subse 
quent  well-fought  actions  on  the  decks  of  the  gun-boats  he  had,  under 
so  many  discouragements,  prepared." 

The  disasters  with  which  the  beginnings  of  the  war  were 
signalized  aroused  the  government  to  a  sense  of  the  vastness 
of  the  work  which  was  before  them ;  and  preparations  both 
for  the  increase  of  the  Army  and  Navy  were  begun  on  a 
scale  of  commensurate  magnitude.  Additions  were  made  to 
all  the  squadrons,  the  outlying  ships  were  called  in,  a  fleet  of 
steam  gun-boats  was  built,  armed  steamers,  constructed  for 
speed,*  were  added  to  the  blockade  service,  and  the  recruiting 
for  the  Navy  was  carried  forward  with  an  enthusiasm  and  a 
success  that  never  before  were  witnessed  in  the  history  of  the 
American  Navy. 

But  the  marked  feature  in  the  history  of  our  Navy  in  the 


*  In  reference  to  swift  steamers  of  light  draught,  the  following  order 
was  sent  to  the  commanding  officer  of  the  New  York  Navy  Yard : 

"NAVY  DEPARTMENT,  April  21,  1861. 
u  COMMODORE  SAMUEL  L.  BREESE,  Navy  Yard,  New  York : 

"  SIR, — By  order  of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  you  will  forth 
with  procure  ten  steamers  capable  of  mounting  a  9-inch  pivot  gun,  with 
light  draught,  about  nine  or  twelve  feet,  having  particular  reference  to 
strength  and  speed.  You  will  consult  with  Commodore  Foote,  the  naval 
constructor,  and  such  other  persons  as  are  capable  of  giving  information 
and  advice.  Charter  on  the  best  possible  terms  for  three  months,  with 
the  option  of  the  government  purchasing  them  within  that  time  at  a 


156  Life  of  A dmiral  Foote. 

year  1861  was  the  introduction  of  iron-plated  steam-ships, 
armed  with  a  few  guns  of  the  very  heaviest  calibre — the  gen 
uinely  American  idea  of  uniting  the  smallest  vulnerable  sur 
face  with  the  greatest  destructive  power.  On  the  3d  of  Au 
gust,  1861,  Congress  passed  an  act  authorizing  the  Secretary 
of  the  Navy  "  to  appoint  a  board  of  three  skillful  naval  offi 
cers  to  investigate  the  plans  and  specifications  that  may  be 
submitted  for  the  construction  and  completion  of  iron-clad 
steam-ships  or  steam-batteries,  and  on  their  report,  should  it 
be  favorable,  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  will  cause  one  or 
more  armored,  or  iron  or  steel  clad  steam-ships  or  floating 
steam-batteries  to  be  built ;  and  there  is  hereby  appropriated, 
out  of  any  money  in  the  treasury  not  otherwise  appropriated, 
the  sum  of  $1,500,000."  Commodores  Joseph  Smith  and  H. 
Paulding,  with  Captain  C.  H.  Davis,  were  appointed  to  this 
board,  and  their  report  was  presented  of  the  date  of  Septem 
ber  15.  The  result  of  this  was  the  construction  of  those  ar 
mored  vessels  and  monitors  contracted  for  by  Ericsson,  Mer- 
rick  &  Sons,  and  S.  C.  Bushnell  &  Co.,  whose  services  were  so 
wonderfully  timely.  It  is  altogether  possible  that  iron-plated 
vessels  and  batteries  will  be  superseded,  since  already  project 
iles  have  been  invented  under  whose  impact  solid  4^-inch 
armor  splits  like  glass,  and  nothing  in  the  shape  of  iron  or 


stipulated  price ;  these  vessels  to  be  immediately  removed  to  the  Navy 
or  private  yards,  with  the  necessary  alterations  and  equipments  to  render 
them  efficient  for  the  service  required. 

"  I  am  your  obedient  servant, 

"  GIDEON  WELLES,  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

Similar  letters  were  sent  to  Boston  and  Philadelphia.  When  it  is  con 
sidered  that,  comparatively  speaking,  with  no  Navy,  or  material  for  one 
to  begin  with,  the  immense  number  of  six  hundred  vessels — most  of 
them  steamers — required  to  close  up  three  thousand  five  hundred  miles 
of  blockade,  and  the  fleets  for  outlying  service  and  upon  the  Western 
waters,  were,  in  a  space  of  time  to  be  reckoned  by  months,  made  ready 
for  efficient  service,  we  are  justly  amazed  at  the  energy  exhibited  by  the 
Naval  Department  during  the  war. 


Naval  Preparations  at  the  West.  157 

steel  can  resist  them ;  but  for  the  emergency  of  our  war,  the 
original  genius  that  adapted  iron  to  the  system  of  naval  at 
tack  and  defense  can  not  be  too  gratefully  remembered. 
Upon  the  little  turreted  monitor  of  Ericsson  on  the  9th  of 
March,  1862 — an  untried  craft,  at  which  old  sailors  looked 
askant,  and  about  which  the  most  hopeful  had  serious  doubts 
— the  fate  of  the  Navy,  the  safety  of  the  national  capital,  and 
the  existence  of  the  republic,  seemed  to  be  suspended;  but 
after  that  four-hours'  fight  with  the  Merrimack,  the  question 
was  settled,  and  a  total  revolution  was  wrought  in  the  defen 
sive  capacity  and  relative  strength  of  nations.  The  vast  crop 
of  monitors  and  their  huge  contemporaries,  such  as  the  New 
Ironsides,  Weehawken,  Dictator,  Monadnoek,  and  Miantono- 
mah,  clad  with  invulnerable  scales,  and  pointed  with  destruc 
tive  rams,  swarmed  our  Atlantic  waters,  and  made  the  threat 
of  foreign  invasion  an  empty  breath.  They  literally  "  warned 
off"  all  interrneddlers.  But  the  same  principle  was  also  ap 
plied  to  operations  on  our  Western  rivers  and  waters.  Soon 
after  taking  charge  of  the  Western  Department,  Major-Gen 
eral  Fremont  became  convinced  of  the  necessity  of  preparing 
a  fleet  of  gun-boats  for  the  purpose  of  acting  with  the  Army, 
and  of  commanding  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries.  The 
fleet,  when  finally  completed,  under  the  successive  commands 
of  Rodgers  and  Foote,  especially  the  last,  who  brought  it. to 
perfection  and  carried  it  into  operation,  consisted  of  twelve 
gun-boats,  seven  of  them  iron-clad,  and  able  to  resist  all  ex 
cept  the  heaviest  solid  shot,  and  costing  on  an  average 
$89,000  each.  The  boats  were  built  very  wide  in  proportion 
to  their  length,  so  that  on  the  smooth  river  waters  they  might 
have  almost  the  steadiness  of  stationary  land  batteries  when 
discharging  their  heavy  guns.*  This  flotilla,  carrying  one 
hundred  and  forty-three  guns,  was  as  follows : 


*  Lossing's  "  Civil  War  in  America,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  198. 

L 


1 58  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 


16  guns 

St  Louis  .     . 

...     13  guns. 

9      " 

Cairo   . 

...     13      " 

Mound  City    .... 

13      " 

Pittsburg. 

...     13      " 

Cincinnati  

13     " 

Lexington  .     . 

...       9      " 

Louisville    

13      " 

Conestoga  . 

...       9      " 

Carondelet  

13      " 

Taylor  .     .     . 

.     .     .     ,9      " 

Some  of  these  guns  were  64-pounders,  some  were  42-pound 
ers,*  and  none  were  less  than  32-pounders.  Each  boat  also^ 
carried  a  Dahlgren  10-inch  shell  gun,  the  Benton,  Foote's 
flag-ship,  having  two  of  these  in  her  forward  battery.  But 
we  will  speak  more  particularly  of  the  construction  and  his 
tory  of  these  boats  before  the  close  of  the  chapter. 

When  Captain  Foote  went  to  his  head-quarters  at  St.  Louis, 
on  the  6th  of  September,  1861,  he  at  once  took  up  the  work 
which  had  been  commenced  by  his  predecessors.  It  can  not 
be  denied  that  he  went  to  this  Western  field  from  a  simple 
sense  of  duty,  his  decided  preference  being  to  have  a  purely 
naval  command,  in  which  he  doubtless  would  soon  have  made 
his  mark  on  the  Southern  coast.  He  loved  blue  water  and 
plenty  of  sea-room.  He  was  every  inch  a  sailor,  and  had  little 
taste  for  soldiering  and  for  amphibious  operations  in  swamps 
and  rivers.  This  work  on  Western  waters  was  a  "hybrid 
service,"  part  on  land  and  part  on  water — something  demand 
ing  totally  new  expedients.  It  was  an  untried  field,  involv 
ing  in  every  part  and  aspect  of  it  immense  perplexities,  diffi 
culties,  and,  to  any  but  the  most  energetic  man,  impossibili 
ties.  Of  course  the  preparation  of  the  boats  was  his  first 
care.  He  could  do  nothing  until  these  were  ready,  and  fitted 
for  their  work  on  waters  of  a  peculiar  character  and  beset 
with  peculiar  obstacles.  The  creation  of  this  fleet,  which  be- 

*  Wherever  42-pounders  are  spoken  of,  it  should  be  understood  that 
they  were  really  7 -inch  rifle  guns;  the  guns  were  old  42-pounders, 
smooth  bore,  that  had  been  rifled,  and  the  shells  used  in  them  weighed 
some  eighty  pounds. 


Preparation  of  the  Flotilla.  159 

came  the  terror  of  rebeldom  on  the  Mississippi,  Cumberland, 
and  Tennessee  rivers,  he  himself  regarded  as  the  greatest 
achievement  of  his  life.  The  fighting  of  them  he  looked 
upon  as  a  secondary  matter. 

The  work  already  done  upon  these  boats,  such  as  the  Lex 
ington  and  the  Conestoga,  which  were  handed  over  to  him 
when  he  assumed  the  command,  was,  in  some  important  re 
spects,  bungling  and  imperfect.  Captain  Foote,  in  a  letter 
addressed  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  thus  speaks  of  the 
condition  of  the  fleet  at  that  time : 

"  On  assuming  the  command,  September  6, 1861,  the  force  consisted 
,  of  three  wooden  vessels  in  commission,  purchased,  equipped,  and  armed 
as  gun-boats  by  Commander  Rodgers.  There  were  also  nine  iron-clad 
gun-boats  and  thirty-eight  mortar-boats  in  process  of  building.  Seven 
of  these  gun-boats  had  been  contracted  for  by  Quartermaster-General 
Meigs,  under  authority  of  the  War  Department ;  and  the  two  remaining 
boats  were  purchased  and  converted  into  gun-boats  by  order  of  Major- 
General  Fremont.  The  thirty-eight  mortar-boats  were  also  built  by  order 
of  General  Fremont ;  these  were  built  of  solid  timber,  without  motive 
power,  and  were  each  designed  to  carry  a  single  mortar.  The  iron-clad 
boats  had  less  than  one  half  of  the  vessel  plated,  while  its  most  vulner 
able  part  had  on  it  but  two  and  a  half  inches  of  plate." 

In  consequence  of  wanting  money,  credit,  and  material, 
neither  gun  nor  mortar  boats  could  be  completed  within 
the  time  specified  by  contract.  "If  they  had  been  finished 
two  months  earlier  than  they  were,"  says  Captain  Pennock, 
"  there  would  have  been  no  Columbus,  no  Island  No.  Ten, 
no  Memphis,  no  Yicksburg,  and  the  Western  forces  might 
all  have  been  sent  East.  Every  thing  turned  on  those  two 
months." 

But  new  vigor  was  now  infused  into  the  work.  Every  thing 
was  left  in  Foote's  hands,  as  the  following  letter  testifies  : 

"  ST.  Louis,  September  16, 1861. 

"  Sra, — In  consequence  of  the  duties  which  press  upon  my  attention, 
I  am  necessarily  forced  to  trust  much  to  your  discretion.  You  will,  there- 


1 60  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

fore,  in  the  duty  confided  to  you,  use  your  own  judgment  in  carrying  out 
the  ends  of  government. 

"  Spare  no  effort  to  accomplish  the  object  in  view  with  the  least  possi 
ble  delay.  J.  C.  FREMONT,  Major-General  Commanding. 

"  Captain  A.  H.  Foote,  Commanding  U.  S.  Naval  ) 
Forces  on  the  Western  Waters,  St.  Louis."        ) 

Material  improvements  were  made  in  the  plating  and  arm 
ing  of  the  vessels ;  the  casting  of  the  guns  at  the  Fort  Pitt 
Foundery,  Pittsburg,  was  expedited ;  mortars  and  shells  were 
largely  contracted  for,  although  at  first  Foote  was  somewhat 
doubtful  in  regard  to  mortar-boats  without  motive  power,  as 
being  unserviceable  in  waters  with  rapid  current ;  but  he 
seems  to  have  been  convinced  by  the  arguments  of  Assistant- 
Secretary  Fox  and  of  his  experienced  subordinates,  and,  more 
than  all,  afterward  by  actual  use.  Some  more  vivid  idea  of 
the  questions,  small  and  great,  that  had  to  be  settled  may  be 
obtained  from  the  business  letters  of  those  under  his  com 
mand,  especially  the  letters  of  that  active  officer  Lieutenant 
S.  L.  Phelps,  who,  in  Rodgers's  as  well  as  in  Foote's  time,  had 
an  important  part  in  getting  the  fleet  ready.  Lieutenant 
Phelps  says,  writing  from  Louisville  before  the  boats  were 
floated  down  the  Ohio : 

"  The  carpenters  have  left  the  Lexington  and  the  Conestoga.  There  is  no 
paint  for  the  boats.  The  Lexington  has  exhausted  the  supply  put  on 
board  by  contractors.  I  find  the  people  have  got  an  idea  that  there  is  a 
chance  for  contract — upon  which  our  country  has  gone  mad,  and  about 
which  it  is  worse  than  dishonest — to  get  the  vessels  over  the  bars.  Any 
one  of  these  river  men  is  ready  to  enter  into  a  contract  to  do  it,  even  if 
there  is  not  a  particle  of  chance  to  succeed,  knowing  well  that  it  is  an 
easy  matter  to  get  relief  from  Congress  for  two  or  three  times  the  amount 
of  their  outlay,  whether  successful  or  not,  as  the  government  is  liberal,  and 
only  needs  the  show  of  having  undertaken  to  serve  it  for  a  good  basis  to 
recover  largely.  I  make  it  my  business  to  gather  all  the  information  I 
can  about  the  river  below,  and  I  am  satisfied  the  steamers  can  not  now 
be  floated  out  in  any  manner.  The  officers  have  not  a  cent  to  send  to 
market  and  start  the  messes.  What  shall  be  done  ?" 


Details  in  regard  to  Gun-boats.  161 

At  another  time  the  lieutenant  writes : 

"  The  more  I  examine  the  work  on  the  C&nestoga,  the  more  disgraceful 
patching  it  seems  to  be.  The  Lexington  is  best  done,  but  none  well ;  and 
the  joiner-work  all  around  is  more  like  the  work  of  common  laborers 
than  of  mechanics.  The  boat  davits  are  not  up,  and  no  attempt  made 
to  put  them  up ;  the  same  of  the  iron  ties  and  bars  over  the  boilers.  In 
the  Taylor  you  can  not  get  from  aft  forward  without  walking  over  the 
boilers.  No  attempt  has  been  made  to  deck  over  for  a  gangway.  The 
contract  calls  for  swinging  booms — none  are  provided.  I  am  persuaded 
that  you  will  find  it  necessary  to  get  authority  to  issue  navy  rations,  and 
to  have  navy  regulations  in  regard  to  commutation,  etc.  It  will  be  the 
only  way  to  save  annoyances  and  losses  to  us.  The  army  is  not  fit  for 
shipboard,  and  won't  do  at  all." 


"  U.  S.  GUN-BOAT  '  TAYLOR,'  MOUND  CITY,  October  3, 1861. 

"  SIR, — A  draft  on  the  assistant-quartermaster  of  St.  Louis  for  two  thou 
sand  dollars,  indorsed  by  me  and  discounted  by  the  Cairo  City  Bank, 
enabled  me  to  pay  a  small  amount  to  the  officers  and  some  of  the  more 
needy  of  our  crew ;  but  we  are  sadly  in  want  of  funds  to  complete  and 
equip  our  boats  for  service,  and  pay  the  bills  already  incurred  in  altera 
tions  and  repairs.  Mr.  Hamilton  complains  that  the  burden  is  more  than 
he  can  bear.  Government  has  failed  to  pay  him  toward  the  construction 
of  the  new  gun-boats  according  to  contract,  and  the  bills  for  the  repairs 
of  the  Lexington  and  Conestoga  are  still  unpaid.  I  hope,  therefore,  for  his 
sake  as  well  as  our  own  necessities,  you  may  succeed  in  obtaining  some 
money  forthwith. 

"  Commander  Stembel  called  at  the  bank  to  have  a  draft  discounted, 
the  same-  as  ours,  and  was  informed  by  Mr.  Safford  that  the  one  we  sent 
had  not  been  honored,  and  until  it  was  he  should  not  feel  as  if  he  could 
extend  the  amount.  He,  however,  after  some  arguing,  consented  to  let 
Commander  Stembel  have  one  thousand  dollars,  but  refuses  further  ac 
commodation  until  our  draft  is  paid,  and  so  the  matter  stands.  Mr.  Saf 
ford  accommodated  us  more  on  the  faith  of  the  Navy  than  from  any  con 
fidence  he  had  in  the  Quartermaster's  Department ;  and  I  trust  through 
your  influence,  and  for  the  benefit  of  the  others,  that  our  draft  will  be 
met  immediately. 

"  May  I  ask  of  you  the  trouble  to  ascertain  if  our  requisitions  for  sun 
dry  articles — countersigned  by  General  Grant,  and  forwarded  from  the 


1 62  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

Quartermaster's  Department  at  Cairo— reached  the  Department  at  St. 
Louis  ?  and,  if  so,  if  they  have  been  attended  to  ?  We  need  the  articles 
for  immediate  use,  and  are  suffering  without  them.  The  articles  of  lard 
and  coal-oil  are  selling  at  Cincinnati  at  prices  far  below  the  range  here, 
and  it  would  be  a  great  saving  to  government  if  we  could  make  imme 
diate  requisition  for  a  supply  for  the  three  vessels. 

"  Matters  are  very  quiet  about  Cairo.  The  Conestoga  has  gone  up  the 
river  under  orders  to  Owensboro.  General  Grant  informed  Commander 
Stembel  that  he  had  nothing  for  him  to  do,  and  desired  that  he  might 
cruise  up  and  down  the  river  a  few  miles  either  way,  to  let  the  rebels 
know  we  were  moving.  Under  these  circumstances  I  shall  remain  here 
till  the  vessel  is  completed,  unless  otherwise  ordered. 

"  It  is  approaching  winter ;  it  will  be  necessary  to  have  some  means  of 
heating  our  apartments.  I  would  suggest  the  use  of  steam-pipes.  The 
main  supply  could  come  from  the  escape-pipe,  and  thus  appropriate  to 
good  use  what  would  be  lost.  Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  H.  WALKE,  Commander  U.  S.  N. 

"  Captain  A.  H.  Foote,  commanding  Naval  Forces  ) 
on  Western  Waters,  St.  Louis,  Mo."  J 

(Telegram.) 

"  CAIRO,  Nb»jember  22. 1861. 

"  To  COMMODORE  FOOTE, — I  would  inform  you  that  the  Mississippi  is 
falling,  with  scant  six  feet.  Would  it  not  be  well  to  send  the  gun-boats 
while  it  is  possible  ?  U.  S.  GRANT." 

(Telegram.) 

"  CAIRO,  November  30, 1861. 

"  To  COMMODORE  FOOTE, — Two  or  three  rebel  gun-boats  have  made  a 
reconnoissance  down  the  Tennessee.  General  Small  requests  that  a  gun 
boat  from  here  be  sent.  I  have  none.  U.  S.  GRANT." 

(Telegram.) 

"  WASHINGTON,  December  23, 1861. 

"  To  CAPTAIN  A.  H.  FOOTE, — The  general-in-chief  has  directed  Gen 
eral  Halleck  to  send  to  the  gun-boats  eleven  t  undred  men  from  unarmed 
regiments.  M.  C.  MEIGS." 


Details  in  regard  to  the  Fleet.  163 

(Telegram.) 

"  CAIRO,  December  17, 1861. 

"  To  A.  H.  FOOTE, — General  McClellan  will  order  to-day  eleven  hun 
dred  men  to  be  detailed  for  your  boats.  We  have  vessels  waiting  for 
men.  A  great  many  of  our  ships  go  to  sea  without  any  Navy  officer  on 
board ;  but  we  can  give  you  Lieutenants  Bryant  and  Thompson,  dates  of 
eighteen  hundred  and  thirty-seven,  and  possibly  some  commanders. 

"G.  A.  Fox,  Assistant-Secretary  of  Navy." 

(Telegram.) 

"  WASHINGTON,  December  30, 1861. 

"  To  FLAG-OFFICER  FOOTE, — After  waiting  four  days,  I  have  had  an 
interview  with  Meigs,  presenting  accounts  for  more  than  three  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  I  can  obtain  no  assurance  of  receiving  a  dollar,  and 
must  return  as  I  came.  Will  leave  this  evening  for  Cairo. 

"  JAMES  B.  EADS." 
(Telegram.) 

"  WASHINGTON,  January  10, 1862. 

"  To  A.  H.  FOOTE, — The  President  desires  immediately  a  full  report 
of  the  number  of  your  gun-boats,  armament,  crew,  etc.,  and  full  particu 
lars  in  relation  to  the  mortar-boats,  the  number  in  commission,  number 
of  mortars  mounted,  number  of  mortars  ready  to  mount,  and  the.  time  of 
completion  of  all  the  boats. 

"  G.  V.  Fox,  Assistant-Secretary  of  Navy." 

(Telegram.) 

"  CAIRO,  January  29, 1862. 

"  To  CAPTAIN  A.  H.  FOOTE,— The  President  orders  if  Flag-Officer  Foote 
can  find  a  suitable  boat  which  he  can  purchase  at  a  fair  price,  let  him 
purchase  it  at  once.  You  will  be  governed  accordingly  in  procuring  a 
boat  for  the  mortar-flotilla.  M.  C.  MEIGS." 

(Telegram.) 

"  CINCINNATI,  February  3, 1862. 

"  To  FLAG-()FFICER  A.  H.  FOOTE, — Can  not  buy  Western  for  less  than 
twenty  thousand  dollars.  Shall  I  buy  her  ?  It  is  absolutely  necessary 
that  Mr.  Magee  come  here  immediately.  How  many  men  and  shells  is 
the  steamboat  to  be  fitted  for  ?  Answer  immediately. 

"  J.  P.  SANFORD." 


1 64  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

These  are  specimens  of  the  great  number  of  such  letters, 
telegrams,  and  communications — some  of  them  still  more  urg 
ent,  and  relating  to  more  important  and  difficult  matters — that 
might  be  given,  showing  the  multiplicity  of  detail,  and  the 
perplexing  questions  of  all  kinds  that  were  constantly  coming 
up  and  requiring  immediate  decision — questions  in  regard  to 
ordnance,  to  money  supplies,  to  the  obtaining  of  fit  mechanics, 
to  the  equipping  and  manning  of  the  vessels,  and  especially  in 
relation  to  the  work  to  be  done  upon  the  vessels  themselves, 
which,  peculiar  in  their  build  and  novel  in  their  adaptation  of 
iron-plating  to  river  steamboats,  required  close  watching  and 
the  greatest  scientific  skill.  It  remains  only  to  speak  more 
definitely  than  has  yet  been  done  of  the  origin  of  this  famous 
flotilla. 

As  early  as  April,  1861,  the  government  was  convinced  of 
the  military  importance  of  the  Western  rivers  and  waters. 
Attorney-General  Bates  wrote  to  James  B.  Eads,  of  St.  Louis,  a 
man  of  great  mechanical  genius  and  energy  of  character,  who 
had  been  engaged  in  removing  obstructions  from  the  Missis 
sippi  and  its  great  tributaries,  respecting  the  use  of  steam  gun 
boats  upon  the  rivers.  Mr.  Eads's  plan  was  referred  to  Com 
modore  Paulding,  who  reported  favorably  upon  it,  and  a  naval 
officer,  Captain  John  Rodgers,  was  detailed  to  go  to  the  West 
and  consult  with  Mr.  Eads.  The  result  of  this  consultation 
was  that  in  the  latter  part  of  May  and  in  June  the  f  reight-and- 
passenger  Ohio  steamers  Conestoga,  Taylor,  and  Lexington 
were  altered  at  Cincinnati,  and  armed  as  gun-boats.  These 
vessels  were  not  plated,  but  were  protected  by  oak  bulwarks 
against  musket-balls. 

During  the  month  of  July  following,  the  quartermaster- 
general  advertised  for  proposals  to  construct  a  number  of  en 
tirety  new  iron-clad  gun-boats  for  the  service  of  the  Missis 
sippi  River.  The  same  Mr.  Eads  was  the  successful  bidder. 
"  The  Department  decided  to  construct  seven  of  these  vessels, 


History  of  the  Gun-boats.  165 

each  of  about  six  hundred  tons,  to  draw  six  feet,  to  carry  thir 
teen  heavy  guns,  to  be  plated  with  iron  two  and  a  half  inches 
thick,  and  to  steam  nine  miles  per  hour.  They  were  one  hun 
dred  and  seventy-five  feet  long,  and  fifty-one  and  a  half  feet 
wide ;  the  hulls  of  wood ;  their  sides  projected  from  the  bot 
tom  of  the  boat  to  the  water-line  at  an  angle  of  about  thirty- 
five  degrees,  and  from  the  water-line  the  sides  fell  back  at 
about  the  same  angle  to  form  a  slanting  casemate,  the  gun- 
deck  being  but  a  foot  above  water.  This  slanting  casemate 
extended  across  the  hull,  near  the  bow  and  stern,  forming  a 
quadrilateral  gun-deck.  Three  9  or  10  inch  guns  were  placed 
in  the  bow,  four  similar  ones  on  each  side,  and  two  smaller 
ones  astern.  The  casemate  inclosed  the  wheel,  which  was 
placed  in  a  recess  on  the  stern  of  the  vessel.  The  plating  was 
two  and  a  half  inches  thick,  thirteen  inches  wide,  and  was 
rabbeted  on  the  edges  to  make  a  more  perfect  joint."* 

These  seven  vessels  were  begun  and  carried  forward  with 
immense  energy,  and  were  finished  and  ready  for  armament 
within  one  hundred  days  after  the  signing  of  the  contract. 
The  first  of  them,  and,  indeed,  the  first  United  States  iron 
clad,  with  her  boilers  and  engines  on  board,  was  launched  in 
Carondelet,  Missouri,  on  the  12th  of  October,  1861.  She  was 
named  the  St.  Louis  by  Admiral  Foote ;  but  when  the  fleet 
was  transferred  from  the  War  Department  to  the  Navy,  this 
name  was  changed  to  the  De  Kalb,  there  being  another  com 
missioned  vessel  at  that  time  named  the  St.  Louis.  Then 
followed  the  Carondelet,  Cincinnati,  Louisville,  Mound  City, 
Cairo,  and  Pittsburg.  Shortly  after,  the  most  powerful  ves 
sel  of  them  all,  and  which  played  an  important  part  in  the 
war  as  the  flag-ship  of  Admiral  Foote — the  Benton — was 
altered  and  plated  from  the  basis  of  a  very  large  and  stout 
snag-boat  that  had  borne  the  same  name.  Some  smaller 

*  Boynton's  "  History  of  the  Navy  during  the  Rebellion,"  vol.  i..  p.  501. 


i66 


Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 


THE  "BENTON." 

boats,  partially  armored,  were  added,  and  thus,  in  an  incred 
ibly  short  time,  there  was  prepared  "a  powerful  squadron, 
aggregating  five  thousand  tons,  capable  of  steaming  at  nine 
knots  per  hour,  each  heavily  armored,  fully  equipped,  and 
ready  for  their  armament  of  one  hundred  and  seven  large 
guns." 

This  rapid  generalization  does  not  convey  any  conception 
of  the  incessant  detail  and  the  wearing  toil,  night  and  day, 
week-days  and  Sundays,  of  those  who  were  chiefly  concerned 
in  the  getting  up,  or  extemporizing,  as  it  were,  of  this  fleet, 
whose  peculiar  character  necessitated  the  invention  of  new 
machinery,  and  the  establishment  of  new  navy  yards,  dock 
yards,  rolling-mills,  machine-shops,  foundries,  forges,  and  saw 
mills.  "  The  timber  to  form  the  hulls  of  the  vessels  was  as  yet 
uncut  in  the  forests,  and  the  engines  to  drive  them  were  un 
built."  Of  course  the  general  supervision  of  this  work — cer 
tainly  during  the  latter  half  of  it — and  the  impelling  will  that 
carried  it  all  forward,  and  brought  it  up  to  a  point  where  it 
was  wrought  into  a  most  complete  and  formidable  instrumen 
tality  of  destruction,  without  which  the  power  of  rebeldom  at 
the  West  could  not  have  been  broken — this  undoubtedly  was 


Anxieties  and  Encouragements.  167 

his  who  mainly  bore  its  responsibility ;  but,  like  the  labors  of 
Perry  in  constructing  his  gun-boat  fleet  on  Lake  Erie,  while 
the  work  was  arduous,  it  was  the  sure  means  of  final  success. 

The  letters  of  Captain  Foote  betray  the  intense  anxiety  that 
he  felt,  but  they  bespeak  at  the  same  time  the  unflinching 
spirit  of  the  man  in  carrying  on  this,  anomalous  work,  which 
was,  as  has  been  remarked,  wholly  uncongenial  to  him.  He 
wished  to  surround  himself  with  naval  men,  and  he  succeeded 
in  doing  so  to  a  considerable  extent;  but  his  sailor  soul  was 
harassed  by  having  to  operate  through  the  Army  Department, 
through  Army  agents  and  civil  contractors,  and  landsmen  and 
river  men  of  all  kinds,  some  of  the  latter  being  most  finished 
specimens  of  Western  Yankees  intensified. 

But  there  were  some  encouraging  features.  The  whole 
country  was  looking  on  with  interest;  and  at  Washington 
Secretary  Welles,  and,  above  all,  Foote's  warm  personal 
friends,  Gustavus  Yasa  Fox,  the  Assistant  -  Secretary  of  the 
Navy,  one  of  the  most  able  and  far-sighted  men  in  the  govern 
ment,  and  Commodore  Joseph  Smith,  who  from  the  earliest  was 
a  main  promoter  of  the  iron-clad  innovation->-these,  as  far  as 
they  had  time  and  opportunity,  were  unwearied  in  their  aid. 

A  few  extracts  from  Commodore  Smith's  letters,  written  at 
this  period,  will  close  the  chapter.  Under  the  date  of  Octo 
ber  25, 1861,  he  writes  : 

"  Great  excitement  prevails  on  account  of  the  fall  of  Lexington,  and  it 
seems  that  General  Fremont  has  incurred  the  displeasure  of  many  for 
not  supporting  Colonel  Mulligan  better.  What  the  result  may  be  is  yet 
to  be  seen.  We  are  behind  in  equipment,  for  want  of  guns  of  the  proper 
kind.  Rifled  cannon  may  be  very  useful  in  certain  positions  and  cases, 
but  my  opinion  is  that  heavy  shot  from  smooth  bores  will  be  more  de 
structive  than  the  rifled  projectiles.  Some  of  each  may  be  well.  Mis 
souri  and  Kentucky  seem  now  to  be  the  most  interesting  points,  and  we 
should  have  double  the  men  in  those  regions  that  we  have.  I  think  the 
Department  will  be  disposed  to  favor  you,  for  none  in  the  Navy  stand 
before  you.  You  see  what  changes  in  squadrons  have  been  made— a 


1 6 8  Life  of  A dmiral  Foote. 

lieutenant  in  command  of  one  of  our  largest  ships !  It  is  said  that  our 
Navy  officers  are  too  old — be  it  so ;  I  am  ready  to  be  put  into  the  hop 
per  to  be  ground  over  again.  Don't  know  what  the  Board  will  do,  and 
care  less. 

"  Pity  our  elite  of  the  Navy  could  not  have  let  well  enough  alone,  and 
left  the  Department  to  furlough  inefficient  officers  while  it  had  the 
power  to  do  so.  Oh,  my  country !  I  feel  for  her  misfortune  and  fear 
for  her  destiny.  But  there  is  a  higher  Power,  and  I  trust  after  He  has 
sufficiently  scourged  us  we  shall  return  to  our  duty  and  to  peace.  We 
are  too  sordid  for  patriotism,  and  until  the  selfish  principle  shall  be 
eradicated  we  shall  continue  to  suffer." 

Under  October  31st  he  writes : 

"  I  understand  all  your  embarrassments ;  but  if  any  man  can  overcome 
them,  you  can.  I  spoke  to  the  Secretary  about  sending  men  to  you,  and 
I  understand  they  will  be  taken  from  Fort  Ellsworth,  near  Alexandria, 
and  sent  to  you  forthwith — and  good  men'  they  are.  We  are  pressed 
here  for  supplies,  all  transportation  being  cut  off  except  by  the  Baltimore 
Railroad.  Supplies  now  are  at  a  most  ruinous  price,  but  we  hope  soon 
to  open  the  Potomac  by  upsetting  the  batteries  studded  on  the  Virginia 
bank  of  that  river.  What  are  to  be  the  next  movements  of  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac  I  do  not  know.  I  hope  when  they  do  move  they  will 
sweep  clean  as  they  go.  I  have  seen  the  man  here  who  furnished  the 
iron  for  plating  your  boats ;  it  is  sufficient  to  break,  or  stop,  or  turn  the 
enemy's  shot,  I  think." 

He  says,  December  31 : 

"  I  submitted  your  general  orders  to  Dahlgren,  who  said  they  could 
not  be  criticised.  It  is  difficult  to  prepare  a  flotilla  in  the  circumstances 
in  which  you  are  placed ;  but  you  will  master  it,  and  come  out  all  right. 
We  are  going  at  the  rate  of  $200,000  per  diem,  and  upon  the  rag  system. 
You  have  read  Seward's  reply  to  Lord  John  Russell's  demand.  It  is  in 
genious,  gassy,  too  long,  but  able.  Our  diplomacy  with  England  stands 
*  Wilkes,  m  Apology.'  We  shall,  I  trust,  strike  a  death-blow  to  the  Confed 
erate  hopes  before  many  months  pass ;  if  we  do  not,  our  country  will  be 
hi  a  lamentable  condition.  The  black  clouds  around  us  look  threaten 
ing  ;  but  I  trust  they  have  a  silver  lining  which  will  dispel  them  after  a 
time." 


CHAPTEE  XIV. 

FIRST     OPERATIONS     OF     "FOOTED     FLOTILLA." THE     ACTION     AT 

LUCAS'S    BEND,    AND    RECONNOITRING    EXPEDITIONS. 

Now  that  the  war  is  over,  we  can  afford  to  give  our  whilom 
Southern  foes  the  credit  of  great  ability  in  military  affairs, 
and  to  recognize  the  truly  formidable  nature  of  the  rebellion 
that  was  organized  against  the  national  life.  They  certainly 
far  surpassed  us  at  the  more  calm  and  sluggish  North  in  the 
force,  rapidity,  and  skill  of  the  early  operations  and  disposi 
tions  of  the  war.  From  the  fact  also  that  there  was  a  real 
despotism  at  the  South,  and  a  spirit  of  intense,  passionate  con 
centration  upon  one  subject,  the  Southerners  hurled  themselves 
with  desperate  energy  into  the  struggle.  In  point  of  territory, 
also,  the  country  was  about  equally  divided ;  for  the  Ohio 
River  really  formed  the  northern  defensive  line  of  the  rebel 
states.  Kentucky's  neutrality  was  of  such  a  nature  as  to  give 
free  scope  to  the  enemy's  operations;  the  Mississippi  River 
below  Columbus  was  entirely  sealed  up;  in  Missouri  the  re 
bellion  had  a  strong  basis  for  attack  upon  the  Northwestern 
States ;  and,  in  fact,  the  rebel  line  presented  an  almost  un 
broken  front  of  fortified  posts  from  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Potomac.  Success  in  Virginia  alone  could 
avail  but  little  to  break  this  line  of  defense  unless  at  the  West 
it  was  penetrated  and  cut  in  two.  Vast  masses  of  Southern 
troops  were  concentrated  in  Tennessee  between  Nashville  and 
the  Mississippi  River,  and  also  in  Eastern  Tennessee ;  but  how 
to  come  at  these,  and  how  to  project  and  maintain  Northern 
armies  in  hostile  states,  so  far  from  the  base  of  supplies,  was  a 
difficult  question,  and,  at  the  time,  one  wholly  incapable  of 


170  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

being  answered  so  long  as  the  great  river  communications  of 
the  West  were  in  the  power  of  the  enemy.  The  Ohio  River 
was  to  be  kept  open  through  its  entire  length;  the  Cumber 
land  and  Tennessee  rivers  were  to  be  cleared  of  their  formi 
dable  fortifications ;  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  were  to  be  held 
possession  of  with  a  strong  grasp ;  Columbus  was  to  be  flank 
ed,  and  the  Mississippi  River  to  be  opened  to  its  mouth — 
these  were  the  problems  that  presented  themselves  to  our  gov 
ernment  to  be  solved  before  it  could  hope  to  deal  successfully 
with  the  rebellion  at  the  West,  or  with  the  rebellion  at  all  in 
its  essential  strength. 

We  have  in  this  country  been  put  to  school  by  the  hard 
schoolmistress,  War,  and  have  learned  a  great  deal  of  the  ge 
ography  of  our  own  country  that  we  did  not  know  before; 
and,  above  all,  we  have  come  to  understand  better  than  before 
the  magnificent  system  of  inland  water  communication  that 
traverses  our  vast  territory,  and  makes  it  available,  not  only  to 
the  peaceful  offices  of  commerce,  but  the  sterner  uses  of  war. 
The  inhabitants  of  the  rebel  states  grasped  the  idea  sooner 
than  we  at  the  North  did,  and  they  promptly  seized  upon  the 
Western  rivers  as  they  had  done  upon  the  Potomac ;  but  they 
evidently  did  not  anticipate  the  creation  and  powerful  charac 
ter  of  the  Northern  gun-boats,  although  upon  the  Mississippi 
they  themselves  had  commenced  at  an  early  date  the  con 
struction  of  iron-clads  and  the  armoring  of  river  steamers  al 
ready  in  use. 

The  first  operations  of  "  Foote's  Flotilla,"  now  that  the  gun 
boats  were  fast  becoming  prepared  for  action,  were  wholly 
tentative,  and  chiefly  directed  to  exploring  expeditions  and 
reconnoissances  on  the  Ohio,  Cumberland,  and  Tennessee  riv 
ers.  They  were  at  this  time  under  the  immediate  control  of 
the  War  Department,  and  were  more  especially  to  act  in  co 
operation  with  the  army  force  under  General  Grant,  whose 
head-quarters  were  at  Cairo ;  but  Captain  Foote,  strenuous  for 


SCENE  OF  OPERATIONS  AT  THE  WEST. 


Fight  at  Lucas  s  Bend.  171 

the  independence  and  freedom  of  his  command,  while  at  the 
same  time  prompt  to  co-operate  with  the  Army,  seemed  at  first 
to  be  busy  in  trying  the  capacities  of  his  fleet  before  attempt 
ing  great  things.  He  sent  his  grim  river-dogs,  singly  or  two 
in  company,  up  and  down  these  waters  on  short  excursions  to 
spy  out  the  enemy's  position,  and  sometimes  to  give  them  a 
little  taste  of  what  was  to  come.  It  was  characteristic  of  him 
not  to  attempt  any  thing  important  until  he  was  perfectly 
ready,  and  then  he  moved  swiftly. 

One  of  these  early  minor  but  not  unimportant  expeditions, 
made  in  conjunction  with  the  land  forces,  is  what  is  called  the 
fight  of  "  Lucas's  Bend."  Eight  miles  below  Cairo,  at  Norfolk, 
a  town  in  Missouri,  there  was  a  body  of  rebel  troops  whom 
General  Grant  determined  to  dislodge,  and  two  vessels  of  the 
flotilla — the  Lexington  and  the  Conestoga — were  at  once  put 
in  requisition.  The  narrative  of  this  action  is  briefly  given  in 
the  following  letter,  written  by  Lieutenant  Phelps,  command 
ing  the  Conestoga : 

"  TJ.  S.  GUN-BOAT  *  CONESTOGA,'  CAIRO,  ILL.,  i 
September  10,  1861.  V 

•'  CAPTAIN  A.  H.  FOOTE,  U.  S.  N.,  commanding  .Naval  Forces,  "Western 

Rivers : 

"  SIR,— I  have  to  inform  you  that  this  morning  I  got  under  way  with 
this  vessel,  in  company  with  the  Lexington,  at  the  request  of  Colonel 
Waggoner,  and  went  down  the  river  to  cover  an  advance  of  troops  from 
Norfolk  in  that  direction.  After  passing  considerably  below  the  forces 
on  shore,  the  Lexington  turned  back  to  be  nearer  them.  I  proceeded  on 
farther  down  to  examine  the  head  of  Island  No.  Two  for  a  reported  bat 
tery,  but  failed  to  find  it.  I,  however,  discovered  the  enemy  in  force  on 
the  Missouri  side  at  Lucas's  Bend,  and  at  once  opened  fire  upon  their  ar 
tillery  and  cavalry.  The  enemy  had  about  sixteen  pieces  of  field  artil 
lery,  and,  it  is  believed,  one  heavy  piece  in  battery.  Several  of  their 
pieces  were  rifled  cannon,  and  ranged  to  and  beyond  this  vessel,  striking 
all  about  her.  In  a  short  time  Commander  Stembel,  hearing  our  guns, 
came  down  with  the  Lexington,  and  joined  in  the  fight.  The  rebels 
moved  their  batteries  from  point  to  point,  while  we  availed  ourselves  of 

M 


172  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

our  motive  power  to  move  up  stream  as  the  enemy  would  attempt  to 
move  up,  back  from  the  banks,  and  bring  their  several  batteries  out  at 
different  places  to  fire  a  few  rounds,  and  then  gallop  to  some  other  point. 
Their  force  of  cavalry  was  considerable,  and  I  fired  several  shells  among 
them  with  great  apparent  effect.  The  shell  and  shot  of  both  our  vessels 
were  lodged  among  their  batteries.  Both  the  Lexington  and  this  vessel 
retired  out  of  range  for  a  short  time  about  one  o'clock,  hoping  to  lead 
the  enemy  up  higher,  to  where  our  land  forces  were.  Two  steamers  of 
the  enemy  had  come  up  from  Columbus,  one  of  them  the  gun-boat  Tan- 
Tcee,  which  also  opened  fire  on  us ;  but  I  found  our  guns  could  not  reach 
them  where  they  lay  below  the  batteries.  At  about  two  o'clock  I  again 
dropped  down  with  this  vessel,  determined  to  try  a  shot  again  at  the  reb 
el  gun-boat.  The  first  shot  must  have  struck  her  on  the  ricochet,  as  it 
touched  the  water  close  alongside,  and  she  at  once  started  down  stream. 
"  The  Lexington  again  came  up,  and,  it  is  believed,  succeeded  in  land 
ing  an  8-inch  shell  in  the  Yankees  wheel-house  and  side,  where  it  burst. 
At  all  events,  the  vessel  appeared  to  be  greatly  injured,  and  went  off 
with  but  one  engine  working.  She  retired  under  the  batteries  at  Colum- 
bus>  where  the  other  one  had  previously  gone.  Our  boats  again  opened 
fire  upon  the  enemy's  batteries,  and  before  five  o'clock  we  had  silenced 
them  entirely,  driven  their  force  out  of  reach,  and  without  any  injury  to 
ourselves.  I  am  satisfied  we  did  great  damage  to  the  enemy.  While 
retiring,  this  boat  was  fired  upon  with  musketry  by  an  enemy  conceal 
ed  in  a  thicket,  and  one  man,  Nelson  Castle,  quartermaster,  was  shot 
through  the  arm  and  in  the  forehead.  I  think  he  will  recover,  but  an 
operation  will  be  required  upon  his  skull.  I  at  once  opened  with  canis 
ter  upon  the  thicket,  and  quickly  cleared  it  of  the  rebels.  Some  of 
them  were  shot  by  our  small-arms  men.  I  can  not  speak  too  highly  of 
the  spirit  and  will  of  the  crew,  scarcely  one  of  whom  had  been  under  fire 
before.  I  am,  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  S.  L.  PHELPS,  Lieutenant  U.  S.  N." 

Captain  Foote  makes  the  following  report  to  General  Fre 
mont  of  a  reconnoitring  expedition  which  he  himself  con 
ducted  : 

"  OWENSBORO,  KY.,  Sept.  25, 1861. 

"  GENERAL, — Agreeably  to  your  orders  per  telegram  of  the  22d  instant, 
and  further  instructions  from  General  Grant,  commanding  at  Cairo,  to 
proceed  to  Owensboro  with  the  gun-boats  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  the 


Expedition  to  Owensboro.  173 

Ohio  River  open,  and  to  dislodge  the  rebels  supposed  to  have  been  in 
possession  of  that  place,  I  proceeded  to  Paducah  on  the  morning  of  the 
23d  in  the  steamer  Bee,  before  the  gun-boat  Lexington,  Commander  Stein- 
bel,  was  ready  to  leave  Cairo,  for  the  purpose  of  calling  on  General  Smith, 
and  of  having  the  gun-boat  Conestoga,  Lieutenant  Phelps  commanding, 
ready  on  the  arrival  of  the  Lexington  to  accompany  me  up  the  river. 

"  On  reaching  Paclucah,  I  ascertained  from  General  Smith  that  the 
Conestoga  had  gone  on  a  short  cruise ;  consequently,  on  the  arrival  of  the 
Lexington,  I  immediately  proceeded  with  her  alone  up  the  river,  taking 
with  us  the  steamer  See,  as  the  water  was  low  and  the  river  falling,  that 
we  might  have  the  means,  if  necessary,  of  getting  afloat  more  readily.  I 
also  sent  the  Bee  up  the  Cumberland  River  fifteen  miles  in  a  vain  search 
for  the  Conestoga.  After  grounding  twice,  at  one  o'clock  on  the  morning 
of  the  24th  we  were  compelled  to  anchor  and  lie  over  till  8  A.M.,  when, 
in  company  with  the  Bee,  and  she  towing  us,  we  proceeded  up  the  river 
to  Evansville,  from  whence  I  telegraphed  you  at  11  P.M. 

"  This  morning  we  reached  Owensboro ;  found  no  batteries,  but  were 
boarded  by  Colonel  McHenry,  who,  with  Colonel  Hawkins,  had  a  skele 
ton  Kentucky  regiment,  which  had  arrived  the  previous  morning.  I 
sent  for  the  authorities  of  the  place,  and  directed  them  to  prevent  the 
display  of  secession  flags.  A  strong  disunion  sentiment  is  manifest  in 
the  place,  but  no  disrespect  was  shown  me,  although  I  have  been  much 
among  the  people ;  but  I  directed  Commander  Stembel  to  hold  as  little 
communication  with  the  shore  as  practicable.  The  colonels,  with  their 
force,  as  previously  designed,  left  the  town  during  the  day,  although  I 
strongly  importuned  them  to  remain,  as  I  did  the  Cincinnati  company ; 
but  they  declined  on  the  ground  of  not  being  properly  equipped,  nor 
having  been  mustered  into  the  service.  Under  these  circumstances,  and 
the  water  requiring  the  Lexington  soon  to  leave,  I  ran  down  to  Evansville 
on  the  Bee,  and  telegraphed  to  General  Morton  at  Vincennes,  Indiana, 
asking  for  five  hundred  men  for  Owensboro.  If  I  get  no  answer,  I  pur 
pose  telegraphing  General  Anderson  at  Louisville  for  the  same  number. 
On  returning  to  Owensboro  in  the  evening,  I  again  communicated  with 
the  shore ;  after  which,  and  giving  my  orders  to  Commander  Stembel  to 
remain  till  the  low  water  required  him  to  leave  in  order  to  reach  Cairo 
safely,  I  ran  down  to  Evansville,  meeting  and  boarding  the  Conestoga  on 
the  way,  and  giving  her  instructions ;  and  here  have  telegraphed  to  Gen 
eral  Anderson  for  five  hundred  men  to  be  sent  to  Owensboro.  Having 
done  all  in  my  power  in  this  quarter,  and  the  preparations  of  the  gun- 


174  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

boats  in  St.  Louis  demanding  my  immediate  attention,  I  leave  for  that 
place  at  10  A.M.  to-morrow,  and  trust  that  I  may  personally  communicate 
with  you  in  the  evening.  In  haste. 

"  I  am,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant,          A.  H.  FOOTE. 
"  Major-General  Fremont,  Commanding  Western  Army, ) 
St.  Louis,  Mo."  f 

The  Conestoga  proceeded  to  Owensboro,  and  remained  there 
as  long  as  it  was  safe  to  do  so,  even  going  farther  up  to  Haws- 
ville  and  Cannelton,  quelling  by  her  presence  some  symptoms 
of  disturbance,  but  leaving  suddenly  on  account  of  the  alarm 
ingly  low  state  of  the  river,  and  having  great  difficulty  in  get 
ting  over  the  bars,  there  being  three  inches  too  little  of  water. 
The  commander  of  this  vessel,  Lieutenant  Phelps,  was,  as  has 
been  remarked,  one  of  the  most  energetic  of  Foote's  officers. 
He  ably  seconded  his  chiefs  incessant  labors  to  bring  the  gun 
boats  to  a  higher  state  of  efficiency.  He  writes  (October  5) : 

"  I  would  ask  your  attention  to  the  armament  of  this  vessel.  Had 
there  been  a  rifled  cannon,  or  even  a  heavy  32-pounder  on  board  on  the 
evening  of  the  1st,  we  could,  in  all  probability,  have  destroyed  the  rebel 
gun -boat  Jeff  Davis,  near  the  batteries  above  Columbus,  under  which 
she  found  protection.  The  rifled  32  or  42  pounder,  one  on  either  end, 
would  render  this  vessel  infinitely  more  efficient.  General  Grant  offered 
to  exchange  a  heavy  32-pounder  for  one  light  one  carried  aft,  but  the 
carriage  we  have  will  not  answer.  I  would  quite  as  soon  have  the 
32-pounder  at  present  on  board  as  the  64 -pounder  shell-guns  on  the 
other  boats.  With  solid  shot  our  range  is  better.  I  feel  confident  that 
this  change  of  armament— especially  for  one  heavy  rifled  piece— is  of 
importance  enough  to  justify  my  urging  it  upon  your  attention." 

In  another  letter  (October  18),  Lieutenant  Phelps  gives  an 
interesting  account  of  a  reconnoissance  up  the  Tennessee 
River,  even  as  far  as  Fort  Henry.  He  says : 

"On  the  following  day  (12th)  we  ascended  the  Tennessee  River  to 
near  Fort  Henry,  where  we  lay  over  night.  The  next  morning  I  exam 
ined  the  fort  carefully  at  a  distance  of  two  to  two  and  a  half  miles,  the 
rebels  not  opening  fire  upon  us. 


Reconnaissance  up  the  Tennessee.  175 

"  One  mile  below  a  small  body  of  men  had  fired  at  the  vessel  with 
small-arms ;  but  a  shot  put  an  end  to  further  demonstrations  of  the  kind. 
The  fortification  is  quite  an  extensive  work,  and  armed  with  heavy  guns, 
mounted  '  en  barbette,'  and  garrisoned  by  a  considerable  force.  It  is  sit 
uated  about  half  a  mile  above  the  head  of  Panther  Creek  Island,  and 
where  the  Tennessee  state-line  leaves  the  right  bank  and  crosses  the  river. 
There  is  no  channel  upon  one  side  of  the  island  (western),  and  a  narrow 
and  somewhat  crooked  one  upon  the  other,  which  continues  so  till  within 
a  mile  of  the  fort,  where  the  water  becomes  a  good  depth  from  bank  to 
bank— some  six  hundred  yards.  It  is  credibly  reported  that  the  rebels, 
at  a  point  about  five  miles  above  the  fort,  are  converting  three  steamers 
into  gun-boats,  and  are  plating  them  with  iron.  There  are  extensive 
iron  works  on  the  river.  They  have  one  of  the  finest  and  fastest  steam 
ers  in  the  West — the  Eastport.  If  desirable,  it  will  be  an  easy  matter  to 
render  their  boats  almost  useless  by  obstructing  the  channel  in  a  narrow 
spot  a  few  miles  above  Paducah.  On  the  14th  instant  I  entered  the 
Cumberland,  and  ascended  it  sixty  miles,  where  the  water  became  shoal, 
and  then  dropped  down  to  anchor  over  night  at  Eddyville — a  strong 
secession  town,  and  a  neighborhood  where  Union  men  have  been  driven 
from  their  homes.  It  was  reported  that  the  rebels  were  building  a  bat 
tery  below  the  town.  I  found  it  necessary  to  use  strong  language  to  the 
citizens  in  regard  to  the  persecution -of  Union  people.  The  more  active 
Secessionists  fled  at  the  approach  of  the  gun-boat. 

"  I  yesterday  again  ascended  the  Tennessee  to  Aurora,  where  the  state- 
road  from  Columbus  east,  passing  through  Hopkinsville,  etc.,  crosses  the 
river,  and  seized  the  steam  ferry-boat  Henry,  bringing  it  to  this  port 
(Paducah).  It  is  evident  that  each  time  this  boat  is  shown  along  these 
waters  there  is  an  increased  confidence  and  sense  of  security  on  the  part 
of  the  Unionists." 

The  new  flotilla  was  thus  feeling  its  way  to  more  important 
results,  exciting  alarm  among  the  ranks  of  secession  people 
along  the  banks  of  the  great  rivers,  and  giving  new  strength 
to  the  enfeebled  national  cause,  while  at  the  same  time  it 
was  gradually  finding  out  its  own  deficiencies  and  its  own 
power.  It  was  not  as  yet  clearly  defined  where  the  Western 
flotilla  belonged — to  the  Army  or  to  the  Navy — and  this  con 
tinued  to  be  a  cause  of  great  embarrassment;  but  Captain 


1 76  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

Foote,  by  constant  and  strenuous  requisitions,  as  far  as  his 
authority  went,  on  the  credit  of  the  government,  for  men, 
money,  and  supplies,  finally  succeeded  in  equipping  his  fleet. 
If,  instead  of  continual  appeals  to  Washington,  and  now  and 
then  unfortunate  interferences  on  the  part  of  civil  and  army 
authorities,  the  whole  thing  had  been  left  in  his  hands,  and 
the  power  and  the  money  intrusted  to  him  unconditionally, 
there  would  have  been  more  rapid  progress ;  but,  under  the 
circumstances,  that  could  not  well  be  done ;  and,  as  it  was, 
patience  and  will  wore  through  all  difficulties,  and  the  time 
was  now  near  at  hand  when  all  these  anxious  and  wearing 
toils  were  to  be  rewarded  with  important  and  even  splendid 
success. 


CHAPTEK  XV. 

ACTION   AT   EDDYVILLE. — DOCUMENTS    RESPECTING    THE    FLOTILLA. 

— DEFECTIVE   GUNS. BATTLE    OF   BELMONT. — 

CORRESPONDENCE. 

THAT  the  gun-boats,  or  those  that  were  prepared  for  action, 
were  not  suffered  to  remain  idle,  the  following  letter  will  tes 
tify;  and  this  is  one  of  many  written  during  the  closing 
months  of  the  year  1861,  giving  accounts  of  similar  expedi 
tions  by  different  officers  in  command  of  vessels  of  the  West 
ern  Navy.  Many  of  the  details  may  seem  unimportant,  but 
they  afford  a  true  view  of  the  character  of  the  service  in 
which  these  vessels  were  engaged: 

"  U.  S.  GUN-BOAT  '  CONESTOGA,'  PADUCAH,  KY.,  i 

October  28,  1861. 

"  CAPTAIN  A.  H.  FOOTE,  U.  8.  Navy,  commanding  Naval  Forces,  Western 
Rivers : 

"  Sm,— On  the  afternoon  of  the  26th  instant,  by  order  of  General 
Smith,  I  left  this  place  in  company  with  the  steamer  Lake  Erie,  No.  2,  on 
board  of  which  were  three  companies  of  the  Ninth  Illinois  Regiment, 
under  command  of  Major  Phillips,  and  proceeded  up  the  Cumberland 
River  upon  an  expedition  to  surprise  a  rebel  camp  near  Eddyville,  Ken 
tucky,  and  have  the  honor  to  make  known  to  you  that  the  result  was  in 
the  main  successful. 

"  I  went,  with  Major  Phillips  on  board,  in  advance  to  Smithfield,  to 
procure  guides  and  pilots,  expecting  that  the  transport  would  not  ap 
proach  the  wharf-boat ;  but  the  captain  ran  her  to  it,  which  rendered  a 
change  of  plan  necessary,  and  caused  the  force  to  reach  the  rebel  camp 
at  a  later  hour  than  was  designed.  The  distance  from  Smithland  to 
Eddyville  by  land  is  not  half  that  by  water ;  and  the  rebels  have  a  com 
plete  system  of  runners  established  in  that  section  of  the  country.  The 
transport  was,  therefore,  sent  up  the  Ohio  a  few  miles,  and  the  Conetftoga 
followed,  an  hour  later,  with  two  heavy  barges  in  tow.  These  were  cast 


178  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

off  on  reaching  the  transport,  which  was  then  taken  in  tow,,  with  all 
lights  out,  fires  screened,  and  engines  stopped,  by  which  precautions  we 
succeeded  in  dropping  down  to  Smithland  and  passing  into  the  Cum 
berland,  without  its  being  suspected,  in  the  darkness  of  the  night,  that 
we  had  the  steamer  in  tow.  The  two  boats,  after  passing  to  a  safe  dis 
tance,  made  all  speed  up  the  narrow  and  crooked  stream,  but  did  not 
reach  and  disembark  the  troops  at  the  point  selected,  two  miles  below 
Eddyville,  till  half-past  three  o'clock  A.M.  I  then  had  the  transport 
moved  to  near  the  town  and  concealed  behind  a  wooded  point,  while 
this  boat  was  quietly  anchored  off  the  main  street,  as  had  been  done  sev 
eral  times  before  in  the  past  few  weeks. 

"  As  soon  as  I  felt  satisfied  that  Major  Phillips  had  had  time  to  reach 
the  rebel  camp — a  march  of  seven  miles  over  an  exceedingly  rough  coun 
try,  and  in  lanes  and  foot-paths — and  that  information  of  the  force  was 
reaching  the  citizens,  I  threw  a  force  on  shore  and  surrounded  the  town 
with  picket-guards,  to  prevent  the  escape  of  rebel  citizens,  or  the  en 
trance  and  concealment  of  refugees  from  the  rebel  camp. 

"About  10  A.M.,  Major  Phillips  reached  town  with  a  number  of  pris 
oners,  horses,  wagons,  arms,  etc.  He  had  got  to  within  four  hundred 
yards  of  the  enemy  after  daylight  before  being  discovered,  when  the 
rebels  formed  in  line.  Our  troops  were  moved  at  a  double-quick  to 
within  one  hundred  yards,  when  they  delivered  their  fire  and  charged 
bayonets  upon  the  rebels,  who  broke  and  fled  in  every  direction,  leaving 
seven  killed  on  the  field.  Two  of  our  soldiers  were  severely  wounded, 
and  one  or  two  slightly — among  these  a  captain  of  a  company. 

"I  seized  a  flat-boat  belonging  to  a  noted  Secessionist,  and  it  was 
freighted  with  the  prisoners  and  plunder  and  towed  to  this  place.  The 
horses  and  mules  were  first  placed  on  the  wharf-boat  at  the  town,  also 
Secession  property ;  but  the  boat  was  found  to  be  too  leaky  and  rotten 
for  towing,  and  the  animals  were  embarked  on  the  transport,  and  one 
hundred  of  the  troops  were  transferred  to  the  Conestoga.  There  were 
taken  in  the  rebel  camp  and  brought  to  this  place,  where  we  returned 
last  evening,  twenty-four  prisoners,  seven  negroes,  thirty-four  horses, 
eleven  mules,  two  transport  wagons,  a  large  number  of  saddles,  muskets, 
rifles,  shot-guns,  sabres,  knives,  etc.  A  number  of  valuable  horses  were 
unavoidably  killed  in  the  skirmish  at  the  camp. 

"  Eddyville  is  sixty -two  miles  from  Paducah,  and  the  camp  was  four 
miles  back  of  the  town,  at  a  place  known  as  Saratoga  Springs.  We  were 
absent  from  Paducah  twenty-nine  hours. 


Cost  of  the  Gun-boats.  1 79 

"  Major  Phillips  and  the  volunteers  deserve  the  greatest  credit  for  their 
successful  daylight  surprise.    I  am,  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 
"  S.  L.  PHELPS,  Lieutenant  Commanding  U.  S.  Navy." 

While  services  like  the  above  were  being  rendered  by  the 
boats,  before  we  relate  their  further  operations  it  would  be 
well  to  present  some  additional  documents  having  special  rela 
tion  to  the  business  matters  of  the  fleet.  Great  difficulty  con 
tinued  to  be  experienced  in  raising  men  to  man  the  fleet,  and, 
at  last,  strenuous  requisitions  had  to  be  made  upon  the  West, 
upon  barge-men,  river-men,  lake-men,  and  landsmen  of  all 
sorts  (and  some  of  the  worst),  to  fill  up  the  vacancies ;  the 
clothing  and  supplies  of  the  crews  were  still  greatly  deficient, 
and  the  pay  of  officers  and  men  was  woefully  in  arrears; 
some  of  the  boats  were  as  yet  unfit  for  service ;  good  subor 
dinate  officers,  foremen,  firemen,  engineers,  and  pilots  were 
scarce ;  and,  from  the  parting  of  a  hawser  to  the  buying  of  a 
steamboat,  every  thing  had  to  go  through  the  head  and  hands 
of  the  commanding  officer.  That  all  was  done  with  the 
greatest  economy  might  be  proved  from  the  competent  testi 
mony  of  Paymaster  Captain  George  D.  Wise  (May  25, 1862) : 
"  Notwithstanding  all  this,  our  gun-boat  flotilla  has  not  cost, 
including  the  building  of  the  gun-boats,  $3,000,000  to  this 
date.  When  we  look  at  the  results  it  has  accomplished,  the 
money  has  been  well  laid  out;  and  if  we  balance  it  by  the 
destruction  and  capture  of  the  enemy's  property,  we  shall  be 
largely  in  pocket." 

"  NAVY  DEPARTMENT,  October  28,  1861. 

"My  DEAR  SIR, — We  have  been  drilling  some  three  hundred  men 
here  for  you,  and  will  send  them  when  you  so  write  or  telegraph.  We 
have  also  given  orders  to  ship  landsmen  in  New  England  for  you.  They 
are  good  men — mostly  fishermen — but  without  drill.  If  you  wish  any  of 
your  officers  ordered  away,  or  can  spare  any  of  them,  write  me  word. 
"  Respectfully,  G.  Y.  Fox,  Assistant-Secretary. 

"  Captain  A.  H.  Foote,  U.  S.  N." 


180  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

"  WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  November  17,  1861. 

"  MY  DEAR  FLAG-OFFICER, — We  have  sent  you  off  five  hundred  men, 
but  I  am  inclined  to  think  it  is  all  we  can  do.  Every  means  is  being 
used  to  recruit,  but  the  large  number  of  vessels  put  afloat  absorbs  them. 
Be  sure  that  you  shall  have  the  first  fifty  men  to  spare  from  this  coast ; 
but  it  looks  now  as  if  it  would  be  impossible  to  do  more.  If  you  wish 
or  can  spare  any  officer,  drop  me  a  private  note,  for  we  are  ashore  for 
commanders.  We  shall  not  disturb  you  unless  you  agree,  but  rather  go 
to  the  merchant  service.  I  made  several  calls  upon  the  War  Department 
about  the  money,  and  they  tell  me  it  was  remitted.  What  a  magnificent 
piece  of  seamanship  Dupont  has  given  us— it  wipes  out  the  disgraceful 
transaction  on  board  the  Richard  in  the  Mississippi.  Wise  showed  me 
your  note  about  the  gun-boats.  I  suppose  if  they  barely  float  they  may 
do,  unless  they  draw  too  much  water.  It  will  be  a  blow  upon  the  Navy 
if  they  fail.  Can't  camels  be  made  of  rubber  to  lift  them  over  ? 

"  Most  truly  your  friend,  G.  V.  Fox." 

"  U.  S.  GUN-BOAT  '  LEXINGTON,'  CAIRO,  ILL.,  i 
Nwember  22,  1861.  > 

"  SIR, — I  have  the  honor  herewith  to  inclose  duplicate  requisitions  for 
$1250.  I  am  induced  to  make  this  requisition,  in  addition  to  the  $5000 
already  received,  in  order  to  pay  my  crew  the  two  thirds  of  their  wages 
faithfully  promised  them  at  the  time  of  their  enlistment.  Most  of  my 
men  are  married,  and  have  families  to  provide  for,  and  are  in  great  need 
of  their  wages.  I  was  forced,  by  the  necessity  of  the  case,  to  reduce  the 
payment  twenty-five  per  cent.,  in  order  to  make  the  $5000  hold  out,  and 
give  each  an  equal  proportion ;  their  clothing  and  small  stores  account 
was  also  deducted  from  the  two  thirds,  and  this  left  but  a  small  amount 
to  each.  Some  of  my  men  have  been  shipped  now  nearly  five  months, 
and  have  received  but  one  small  payment  previous  to  this.  I  should  be 
much  pleased  if  you  can  consistently  approve  this  requisition,  and  much 
oblige,  Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  R.  N.  STEMBEL,  Commander  U.  S.  N. 

"  To  Commodore  A.  H.  Foote." 

It  is  pleasing  to  learn  from  other  sources  how  willingly 
and  faithfully  these  ill-provided  and  ill-paid  men  continued 
to  work,  with  rare  instances  of  desertion.  The  men  sent  at 
various  times  from  the  East  also  came,  with  very  few  losses, 


The  Mortar-boats.  181 

promptly  to  their  posts,  and  served  with  that  heartiness  which 
characterized  all  departments  of  our  patriotic  forces  in  the 

great  struggle. 

"WASHINGTON,  November  1,  1861. 
"  COMMODORE  A.  H.  FOOTE,  U.  S.  N.,  commanding  Gun-boats,  St.  Louis : 

"  I  am  instructed  to  say  that  General  Halleck  has  instructions  in  re 
gard  to  the  gun-boats. 

"  The  appropriation  not  being  sufficient  to  complete  and  equip  more 
than  three  altered  and  seven  built  gun-boats,  the  Department  is  embar 
rassed  by  the  action  of  the  commanding  general  West  in  ordering  so 
many  mortar-rafts,  tugs,  and  altered  boats,  in  addition  to  those  contract 
ed  for  by  this  Department.  All  can  not  be  completed  without  further 
appropriations,  and,  for  the  present,  at  least,  this  Department  can  not 
remit  money  except  for  those  contracted  for  under  its  authority. 

"  Respectfully,  M.  C.  MEIGS,  Quartermaster-General." 

The  complete  outfit  of  the  mortar-boat  department,  requir 
ing  a  great  many  implements  and  needing  a  long  time  to 
manufacture  them,  gave  rise  to  a  long  correspondence  both 
with  officials  at  Washington  and  ordnance  officers  and  manu 
facturers  at  Pittsburg.  It  will  not  be  necessary  to  give  this 
correspondence ;  but  the  following  is  a  private  letter  of  Cap 
tain  Foote's,  which  sets  forth  some  of  the  facts  of  the  case 
from  his  point  of  view : 

"  CAIRO,  January  11,  1862. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR,— I  send  the  report  herewith  which  your  telegram  of 
the  10th,  but  not  received  till  this  morning,  required  for  the  President. 
I  have  endeavored  to  keep  the  Department  fully  informed  of  our  prog 
ress,  with  all  incidental  circumstances.  I  have  worked  incessantly  since 
I  have  joined  or  assumed  command  here.  The  contractor,  in  not  being 
up  to  time,  and  for  want  of  men,  has  kept  the  gun-boats  from  being  com 
missioned.  I  have  had  all  things  in  my  power,  and  over  which  I  had 
control,  in  readiness  long  since.  With  reference  to  the  mortar-boats,  I 
only  wish  that  you  could  see  them.  Their  magazines  are  merely  square 
holes  in  the  timbers,  banded  together,  forming  the  boat,  and  of  course 
most  of  them  leak.  The  mortar-boats  would  require,  if  all  fitted  out, 
about  eight  hundred  men.  There  are  no  conveniences  for  living  aboard. 


1 8  2  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

They  will  leak  more  and  more.  Some  of  our  best  officers  have  no  better 
opinion  of  these  rafts  or  boats  than  I  have ;  still  this  is  unofficial.  It  is 
my  business  to  let  the  government  judge,  and  I  am  to  obey  orders ;  and 
while  I  can  not  consider  these  boats  as  well  adapted  to  the  purposes  for 
which  they  were  designed,  still,  as  I  said  to  General  Meigs,  so  much  has 
been  expended  upon  them,  they  ought  not  to  be  cast  aside,  or  '  words  to 
that  effect,'  and  I  certainly  would  not  presume  to  throw  obstacles  in  the 
way  of  having  them  fitted,  armed,  and  equipped.  I  obtained  authority 
to  this  effect  from  General  Fremont ;  but  General  Curtiss,  when  he  sent 
for  me  and  asked  for  my  orders  and  instructions  (which  I  reported,  to 
show  how  every  brigadier  might  interfere  with  me,  and  by  way  of  illus 
trating  the  necessity  of  the  appointment  of  a  flag-officer),  said  that  Gen 
eral  Fremont's  orders  were,  or  would  be,  now  of  no  avail.  Still,  on 
General  Halleck's  arrival,  I  called  on  him,  and  said  that  I  had  selected 
Captain  Constable,  who,  with  Lieutenant  Sanford,  under  my  direction, 
could  have  good  mortar-boats  made  in  fourteen  days  in  St.  Louis,  while 
I  could  send  Captain  Pike,  who  had  been  an  engineer  appointed  by 
Fremont,  to  Pittsburg,  to  have  the  mortars  there  made,  and  sent  or 
shipped  here  before  navigation  closed.  I  asked  General  Halleck  to 
allow  me  to  do  this,  and  I  would  have  the  mortar-boats  armed  in  twenty 
days.  He  declined,  as  he  had  no  authority,  and  in  a  few  days  sent  Cap 
tain  Constable  to  join  his  company.  He  was  averse  to  helping  me  at  all. 
General  Meigs,  on  referring  to  him,  said  that  General  Halleck  had 
instructions  with  reference  to  gun  and  mortar  boats,  as  shown  in  his 
letter  to  me.  I  left  St.  Louis  under  those  circumstances,  while  after 
ward  the  quartermaster  sent  down  the  mortar-boats,  asking  me  to  re 
ceive  them.  Such  is  a  brief  history  of  these  boats.  I  have  here  had  no 
men  nor  officers,  nor  means  to  attend  to  them ;  yet  had  I  supposed  that 
it  was  the  intention  of  the  Department  for  me  to  fit  them  out  or  to  move 
in  the  matter,  I  would  have  found  a  way  of  doing  it.  But  under  the  cir 
cumstances  it  could  not  be  expected  of  me  to  have  done  differently  from 
what  I  have  done.  I  am  aware  that  an  officer  in  command  is  considered 
culpable  by  the  public  when  any  thing  is  wanting  in  the  Department 
where  he  is  the  chief,  irrespective  of  the  question  of  his  right  or  power 
to  do  it,  but  I  trust  you  judge  otherwise.  I  have  to-day  telegraphed  to 
Pittsburg  to  learn  how  many  beds  and  mortars  are  or  can  soon  be 
ready,  and  I  am  ready — as  I  have  always  been.  I  know  that  an  officer 
of  great  resources  can  overcome  almost  insuperable  obstacles ;  but  away 
from  a  navy  yard,  and  with  the  limited  means  I  have  at  hand  in  this 


Defective  Guns.  183 


wilderness  of  naval  wants,  I  must  say  that  no  one  could  have  done  more 
than  I  have  done.  Very  truly  yours,  A.  H.  FOOTE. 

"  G.  V.  Fox,  Assistant-Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

"  I  have  made  every  effort  to  ship  men  in  the  West,  but  have  secured 
only  about  two  hundred.  The  river-men  enlisted  in  June,  or  went  South ; 
and  as  our  pay  is  eighteen  dollars  per  month,  and  their  old  pay  thirty 
dollars,  the  remaining  men  are  indisposed  to  ship  in  the  gun-boats. 

"  A.  H.  F." 

The  following  letters  are  interesting  as  showing  the  straits 
into  which  the  government  was  forced  in  the  early  periods  of 
the  war.  Most  of  the  defective  guns  mentioned  were  thrown 
out ;  but  some  of  them  continued  to  be  a  source  of  annoyance 
and  actual  damage  from  bursting  during  the  operations  of  the 
gun-boats  under  FlagTofficer  Foote  and  Captain  Davis,  who 
succeeded  him. 

"  COMMANDANT'S  OFFICE,  U.  S.  NAVY  YARD, 

January  20, 1862. 

"  CAPTAIN  A.  A.  HARWOOD,  Chief  of  Bureau  of  Ordnance  and  Hydrog 
raphy  : 

"  SIR, — I  beg  leave  to  call  the  attention  of  the  Bureau  to  the  fact  that 
certain  9-inch  guns  have  been  sent  to  the  Western  flotilla  which  were 
made  for  the  Navy  in  1855,  and  rejected  for  want  of  strength.  As  one 
of  these  guns  burst  as  low  as  121  fires,  it  is  evident  they  are  unsafe.  I 
am  aware  that  at  the  time  they  were  sent  West  there  seemed  to  be  an 
immediate  need  of  some  ordnance,  and  it  not  being  possible  to  procure 
any  others,  there  was  a  justification  for  the  risk  incurred.  But  this  is  no 
longer  the  case ;  and  as  the  gun-boats  on  which  these  guns  are  may  be 
in  action  before  long,  I  would  urge  the  Bureau  to  lose  no  time  in  replacing 
the  9-inch  guns  sent  West  by  others  which  have  been  fully  proved. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  JOHN  A.  DAHLGREN,  Comniandant." 

"  BUREAU  OF  HYDROGRAPHY,  NAVY  DEPARTMENT,  ) 
WASHINGTON,  January  23, 1862.  i 

"  SIR, — You  were  telegraphed  on  the  21st  instant  (1)  not  to  send  more 
9-inch  guns  to  New  York  until  further  orders,  and  to  get  ready  with  all 


1 84  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

possible  dispatch  sixteen  of  the  same  class  for  a  special  purpose.  (2) 
The  Bureau  now  informs  you  that  the  sixteen  guns  are  intended  for  the 
gun-boat  flotilla  at  Cairo ;  and  you  will  please  forward  the  guns  by  the 
quickest  means  of  transportation,  one  by  one,  as  fast  as  they  can  be  de 
livered.  (3)  You  will  please  inform  the  Fort  Pitt  founders  that  the  Bu 
reau  especially  and  urgently  requests  that  every  possible  exertion  may  be 
made  to  expedite  the  work  for  the  purpose  indicated  at  the  earliest  prac 
ticable  moment.  I  am,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  ANDREW  A.  HARWOOD,  Chief  of  Bureau. 
"  Commander  J.  R.  M.  Mullany,  U.  S.  K,  ) 
Asst.  Ins.  Ordnance,  Pittsburg."  ) 

But  it  is  time  that  we  should  speak  of  the  remaining  oper 
ations  of  the  gun-boats  during  the  year  1861,  from  the  date  of 
the  action  at  Eddyville,  October  26th. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  whole  Western  mili 
tary  field,  comprising  both  land  and  water,  was  up  to  this  time 
under  the  command  of  Major- General  Fremont,  and  thus, 
generally  speaking,  of  the  Army  Department.  General  Grant, 
having  seized  upon  Paducah,  gained  a  footing  near  the  moutli 
of  the  Ohio  River,  and  established  his  head-quarters  at  Cairo, 
with  a  force  rapidly  increasing  in  numbers.  Combined  with 
him  in  the  control  of  operations  in  the  Mississippi  Yalley  was 
that  very  able  commander,  General  C.  F.  Smith ;  and  with 
these  two  army  leaders  Foote,  with  the  title  and  authority  of 
flag-officer,*  which  ranked  him  with  a  major-general  in  the 
army,  was  appointed  specially  to  co-operate  with  his  gun-boat 
fleet ;  having,  it  is  true,  an  independent  command,  but  at  the 
same  time  being  more  or  less  under  the  direction  of  the  army, 
and  his  subordinate  commands  being  liable  at  any  moment  to 
be  peremptorily  ordered  to  "perform  some  duty  required  in 
carrying  out  the  plans  of  General  Smith  or  General  Grant. 
This  state  of  things,  in  which  the  authority  and  responsibility 

*  His  official  naval  rank  as  "  flag-officer  "  dates  actually  from  November 
13th,  1861,  although  before  this  he  was  the  regularly  appointed  com- 
rnander-in-chief  of  the  Western  waters. 


Battle  of  Belmont.  185 

were  at  best  but  vaguely  defined,  was,  as  has  been  more  than 
once  hinted,  a  source  of  annoyance  to  so  high-spirited  a  man 
as  Foote  ;  and  it  grew  to  its  height  under  General  Halleck, 
who,  two  days  after  the  battle  of  Belmont,  succeeded  Fremont 
in  the  control  of  the  Western  Department.  Foote  felt  this  to 
be  so  great  a  grievance  that  he  at  one  time  solicited  a  trans 
ference  to  a  separate  naval  coast  command ;  but  his  value  at 
the  post  where  he  had  been  placed  was  so  great  that  the  gov 
ernment  refused  his  request,  having  unlimited  confidence  in 
his  ability  and  his  adaptation  to  the  work  assigned  him.  The 
wisdom  of  its  choice  was  confirmed  by  the  result;  but  the 
subject  of  it  nevertheless  was  subjected  to  a  cruel  trial,  which, 
however,  he  nobly  bore,  suffering  it  to  have  no  evil  influence 
upon  his  actions.  He  went  straight  on  in  spite  of  all  ob 
stacles,  sacrificing  his  personal  feelings  to  the  public  good. 

On  the  1st  of  November,  1861,  Major-General  Fremont  or 
dered  Grant  to  make  demonstrations  on  both  sides  of  the  Mis 
sissippi  River.  This  order  was  countermanded ;  but  wras  re 
newed  on  the  5th,  and  was  carried  into  effect  by  Grant.  Hav 
ing  learned  on  the  7th  that  there  was  a  movement  of  the  rebels 
from  Columbus  to  Belmont,  to  cut  off  Colonel  Oglesby,  whom 
he  had  sent  with  three  thousand  men  toward  the  St.  Francis 
River,  Grant  immediately  resolved  to  attack  Belmont,  and  to 
surprise  General  Polk,  who  was  there  with  a  force  of  seven 
thousand  men,  thus  preventing  him  from  sending  reinforce 
ments  into  Missouri.  Grant's  troops,  consisting  of  about  three 
thousand  men,  were  swiftly  embarked  on  transports  at  Cairo ; 
and  the  gun-boats  Taylor  and  Lexington  were  ordered  to  con 
voy  them  down  the  river  .to  a  point  two  miles  above  Belmont, 
where  they  were  landed ;  but  as  we  do  not  intend  to  give  an 
account  of  the  battle  of  Belmont,  but  only  of  the  part  that  the 
flotilla,  which  had  been  prepared  for  action  and,  as  it  were, 
created  by  Foote,  took  in  it,  we  simply  subjoin  Cpmmander 
Walke's  report : 


1 86  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

"  U.  S.  GUN-BOAT  '  TAYLOR,'  MOUND  CITY,  Nov.  9, 1861. 

"  SIR, — I  have  the  honor  to  report  that  on  the  evening  of  the  6th  in 
stant  I  received  instructions  from  General  Grant  to  proceed  down  the 
river,  in  company  with  the  Lexington,  under  Commander  Stembel,  for  a 
reconnoissance  and  as  convoy  to  some  half-dozen  transport  steamers.  We 
proceeded  opposite  to  Norfolk,  near  the  Kentucky  shore,  where  we  round 
ed  to,  and  anchored  for  the  night.  I  then  learned  for  the  first  time  the 
extent  of  the  reconnoissance. 

"  At  three  o'clock  the  following  morning,  at  the  request  of  General 
Grant,  the  Taylor  and  Lexington  started  down  the  river  for  the  purpose 
of  engaging  the  rebel  batteries  at  Columbus ;  but  after  proceeding  a  few 
miles  we  were  met  with  such  a  dense  fog  as  to  render  any  farther  prog 
ress  hazardous ;  we  therefore  rounded  to,  and  returned  to  the  point  from 
whence  we  started.  At  six  o'clock  we  all  got  under  way,  our  two  gun 
boats  taking  the  lead,  and  convoying  the  steamers  containing  Generals 
Grant  and  McClernand  and  their  aids,  and  some  three  thousand  troops, 
two  companies  of  cavalry,  and  some  artillery.  "We  proceeded  down  the 
river  to  the  extreme  end  of  Lucas's  Bend,  and  just  without,  as  I  thought, 
the  range  of  their  guns  on  Iron  Banks.  After  the  troops  had  disem 
barked,  and  were  under  marching  orders  (half-past  eight  o'clock),  our 
two  boats  proceeded  to  engage  their  batteries  on  Iron  Banks,  each  ex 
pending  several  rounds  of  shell,  and  returning  to  the  transports.  Their 
shot  passed  over  us,  though  in  some  instances  coming  very  close  to  us.  At 
this  time,  with  their  long-range  rifled  cannon,  they  sent  a  large  number 
of  shot  half  a  mile  above  the  transports.  I  requested  the  captains  of  the 
transports  to  move  up  and  out  of  the  range  of  their  shot,  which  they  did. 
At  ten  o'clock,  the  engagement  having  commenced  at  Belmont,  we  again 
engaged  the  Iron  Bank  batteries,  expending  still  more  shell,  their  shot 
flying  around  us,  but  doing  no  harm,  while  our  shells  seemed  to  go  where 
they  could  be  effective.  We  returned,  after  an  engagement  of  about 
twenty  minutes,  to  the  transports. 

"  At  about  noon,  hearing  the  battle  of  Belmont  still  going  on,  our  two 
gun-boats  made  a  third  attack  upon  their  batteries,  this  time  going  nearly 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  nearer  to  them.  We  opened  a  brisk  fire  of  shell,  and 
seemingly  with  good  effect.  While  in  this  engagement  one  of  their  24- 
pounders  struck  us  on  the  starboard  bulwarks,  and,  continuing  obliquely 
through  the  spar-deck,  took  off  the  head  of  Michael  Adams,  seaman,  and 
broke  the  arm  and  otherwise  seriously  injured  James  Wolfe,  seaman,  and 
slightly  wounding  a  third.  Acting-Surgeon  Kearney,  who  was  cool  and 


Battle  of  Belmont.    ^  187 

assiduous  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties,  immediately  dressed  Wolfe's 
wound,  but  considers  him  in  a  critical  condition.  We  fired  a  few  more 
shell  and  returned,  keeping  up  the  fire  from  our  stern  guns  as  long  as  we 
were  within  reach  of  them. 

"  It  is  providential  that  we  have  escaped  with  so  little  damage.  A 
fragment  of  one  of  their  shells  struck  us  on  the  stern,  but  doing  little 
damage. 

"  When  nearly  all  our  troops  had  re-embarked,  or  were  about  ready  to 
start,  a  sudden  attack  was  made  upon  the  transport  vessels  by  a  large 
force  coming  in  from  above.  Our  gun-boats  being  in  good  position,  we 
opened  a  brisk  fire  of  grape,  canister,  and  S^-shells,  silencing  the  enemy 
with  great  slaughter.  After  the  transports  were  under  way  we  followed 
them,  throwing  a  shell  occasionally  to  repel  the  enemy's  approach  to  the 
banks.  When  a  few  miles  up  the  river,  we  met  one  of  the  transports 
(Chancellor}  with  Brigadier-General  McClernand  on  board,  who  stated 
that  some  of  their  men  were  left  behind,  and  asked  that  we  might  return 
with  our  gun-boats,  and  see  if  we  could  find  them.  We  did  so,  the  Lex 
ington  accompanying  us,  and  between  us  we  succeeded  in  securing  nearly 
all  that  were  left  behind,  together  with  about  forty  prisoners,  including 
some  badly  wounded. 

"  We  then  proceeded  up  to  Island  No.  One,  when  the  Rob  Roy  met  us, 
with  instructions  from  General  Grant  to  turn  over  all  the  troops  and 
prisoners,  and  to  remain  until  Colonel  Cook,  who  was  down  the  Ken 
tucky  shore  on  a  reconnoissance,  should  return.  He  returned  at  ten 
o'clock,  and  at  eleven  I  weighed  anchor  and  returned  to  Cairo,  having 
sent  the  Lexington  on  before  me. 

"  It  is  but  an  act  of  justice  to  the  officers  and  crew  to  state  that  they 
acted  throughout  all  our  engagements  with  perfect  coolness,  ability,  and 
courage,  the  crew  answering  the  calls  to  quarters  with  an  alacrity  be 
coming  earnest  co-operators  for  the  government.  I  was  astonished,  with 
the  apparently  new  materials  we  have,  to  see  with  what  zeal  and  effi 
ciency  they  all  performed  their  parts. 

"  The  Lexington,  under  Commander  Stembel,  as  consort,  supported  me 
throughout  the  day  with  the  most  commendable  energy  and  efficiency. 
"  Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  H.  WALKE,  Commander  U.  8.  N. 

"  Captain  A.  H.  Foote,  TJ.  S.  N.,  commanding  > 
Naval  Forces  on  Western  Waters."  f 

There  is  no  doubt  but  that  the  gun-boats  performed  a  sig- 


1 88  iLife  of  Admiral  Foote. 

nal  service  at  Belmont,  and  by  covering  with  well-directed 
fire  the  final  retreat,  prevented  our  troops  from  being  almost, 
if  not  entirely,  cut  to  pieces.  The  action  of  the  boats  was  by 
no  means  intended  to  be  an  assault  upon  Columbus — a  fortifi 
cation  containing  40,000  men,  and  more  than  one  hundred 
guns  of  large  calibre — but  it  was  simply  to  reconnoitre  the 
enemy's  position  and  to  convoy  the  transports;  yet,  as  it 
turned  out,  the  gun-boats  proved  to  be,  in  this  instance,  the 
salvation  of  the  Army.  Our  loss,  notwithstanding  the  early 
brilliant  success  of  the  attack,  was  five  hundred  men;  and 
what  might  it  not  have  been,  with  an  overwhelmingly  supe 
rior  force  from  Columbus  coming  down  suddenly  upon  our 
troops  hastily  re-embarking,  if  the  watchful  gun-boats  had  not 
been  at  hand  to  keep  the  foe  at  bay  with  their  slaughterous 
discharges  of  grape  and  canister  ? 

In  the  flag-officer's  correspondence  about  this  time  with  his 
active  officers  there  are  many  interesting  things  mentioned, 
and  facts  that  bring  before  us  vividly  the  state  of  the  times. 
Running  up  the  rivers,  coming  suddenly  upon  small  villages, 
surprising  farm-houses,  and  appearing  without  announcement 
in  secession  districts,  the  gun-boats  gained  a  sort  of  omnipres 
ent  reputation.  One  of  the  lieutenants  writes : 

"  On  arriving  at  Linton,  two  signal  guns  were  fired,  and  about  sixty 
loyal  refugees  came  in  during  the  night,  in  small  parties,  from  the  back 
country.  Just  before  dark  a  negro  ran  down  to  the  river  bank,  near  the 
boat,  chased  by  blood-hounds  in  full  cry  after  him,  and  begged  to  be 
taken  on  board.  I  sent  a  boat  to  his  rescue,  and  learning  by  his  state 
ment,  confirmed  by  Kentuckians  on  board,  that  he  was  being  chased  by 
rebel  cavalry — he  had  run  eighteen  miles — I  received  him  on  board  and 
brought  him  away.  His  master  is  a  Secessionist.  The  cavalry  did  not 
show  themselves,  and  the  hounds  were  taken  from  the  track ;  but  we 
saw  three  of  them." 

This  poor  fellow  must  truly  have  blessed  the  hour 
"  Wen  de  Lirikum  gun-boats  cum." 


Letter  to  his  Wife.  189 

A  letter  of  Captain  Foote  to  his  wife,  dated  December  13, 
1861,  written  upon  the  back  of  a  letter  of  General  Grant  to 
himself,  asking  his  aid  in  an  anticipated  attack  by  the  rebels 
upon  Fort  Holt,  and  addressing  him  as  "  Dear  Commodore," 
breathes  the  weary,  anxious,  yet  brave  spirit  of  a  man  almost 
overborne  by  cares,  but  still  hopeful : 

"  CAIRO,  December  17,  1861. 

"  MY  DEAR  WIFE,— Weary  days  are  my  lot.  Sanford  is  better  to-day, 
and  may  be  up  and  about  in  a  week.  Pennock,  the  only  one  left  good 
for  any  thing,  is  on  the  Board  examining  mortar  -and  gun  boats  with 
two  generals  and  a  colonel.  I  have  been  hard  at  work  all  day,  but  the 
Board  have  capsized  every  thing,  and  will  keep  us  back  for  several 
days.  If  I  could  be  fitted  out  at  a  navy  yard,  I  would  not  care ;  but 
this  fitting  out  vessels  where  no  one  knows  any  thing  is  discouraging. 
But  I  can  now  and  then  see  light  aloft.  I  feel  clearer  of  head  oppression 
than  usual,  though  I  may  be  prostrated  at  any  minute.  I  sleep  nicely  at 
night,  which  is  a  blessing,  and  I  don't  mean  to  fret.  General  McClellan 
is  to  give  us  1100  men — have  just  heard  of  it  by  telegram  from  Fox. 
Things  brighten  a  little  ahead.  Ever  affectionately,  A.  H.  F." 


CHAPTER  XYI. 

PREPARATIONS    FOR    ATTACKING    FORT    HENRY. THE    ASSAULT 

AND    CAPTURE. 

ALTHOUGH  the  history  of  the  Western  flotilla  is  part  and 
parcel  of  the  biography  of  Admiral  Foote,  and  although  its 
achievements  belong,  in  a  true  sense,  to  his  renown,  and  all 
that  it  was  and  did  is  thoroughly  identified  with  him,  who 
was  the  main  cause  and  promoter  of  its  efficiency,  yet  we 
do  not  think  it  necessary  to  dwell  further  upon  those  minor 
movements  and  expeditions  in  which  he  was  not  present  or 
personally  engaged,  and  which  were  undertaken  at  the  sug 
gestion  of  the  Army  Department ;  and  we  turn  now  to  those 
greater  and  more  splendid  operations  where  Foote  himself 
was  the  prime  directing  and  inspiring  force. 

The  first  strong  line  of  the  rebel  defense  at  the  West 
stretched  from  the  Mississippi  River  at  Columbus  to  the 
Cumberland  Mountains.  It  was  necessary  to  break  through 
this  at  the  most  feasible  point,  which  could  not  be  on  the  Mis 
sissippi  River  on  account  of  the  immense  strength  of  the  for 
tifications  at  Columbus,  neither  could  it  be  done  by  sending 
an  Army  across  the  Ohio  into  Kentucky,  so  far  from  the  base 
of  supply ;  and  Foote,  as  well  as  the  two  Army  commanders, 
Grant  and  Smith,  early  appreciated  the  strategic  importance 
of  seizing  the  strongholds  on  the  Tennessee  and  Cumberland 
rivers,  thus  letting  them  far  into  the  Southern  line,  and  estab 
lishing  a  base  whereby  both  Columbus  and  Bowling  Green 
could  be  made  untenable  to  the  enemy,  the  railroad  commu 
nications  cut,  and  the  rebel  line  of  defense  pushed  farther 
down,  leaving  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  at  the  command  of 


Reconnaissance  of  Fort  Henry.  191 

the  Union  forces.  Foote  was  earnestly  bent  upon  this  idea, 
and  hastened  forward  his  preparations  during  the  month  of 
January,  1862.  He  was  particularly  careful  as  to  the  perfect 
condition  of  his  gun-boats.  The  whole  thing  was  novel  and 
untried.  It  had  not  yet  been  ascertained  how  iron-clads 
would  compete  with  land-batteries.  This,  in  fact,  was  the 
first  trial  of  iron-clad  vessels.  The  strength  of  forts  Henry 
and  Donelson  in  guns  and  men  was  known  only  by  rumor. 
It  was  therefore  necessary  to  make  cautious  reconnoissances, 
without  awakening  the  least  suspicion  of  what  was  intended 
to  be  done.  One  of  these  expeditions,  undertaken  January 
7th,  is  thus  reported  by  Lieutenant  Phelps  of  the  Conestoga : 

"  Yesterday  I  ascended  the  Tennessee  River  to  the  state  line,  return 
ing  in  the  night.  The  water  was  barely  sufficient  to  float  this  boat, 
drawing  five  feet  four  inches,  and  in  coming  down  we  dragged  heavily 
in  places.  The  Cumberland  is  also  too  low  above  Eddyville. 

"  The  rebels  are  industriously  perfecting  their  means  of  defense  both 
at  Dover  and  Fort  Henry.  At  Fort  Donelson  (near  Dover)  they  have 
placed  obstructions  in  the  river,  one  and  a  half  miles  below  their  bat 
tery  on  the  left  bank,  and  in  the  bend  where  the  battery  comes  in  sight. 
These  obstructions  consist  of  trees  chained  together  and  sunk  across  the 
river,  with  the  butts  up  stream,  the  heads  floating  near  the  surface,  and 
pointed.  Placed  as  they  are  reported  to  be,  any  attempt  to  remove 
them  must  be  made  under  a  severe  fire,  and  where  there  is  very  little 
room  for  covering  boats.  The  bend  is  a  very  sharp  one,  and  the  river 
not  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  wide.  The  battery  upon  the 
right  bank  is  upon  a  hill  half  a  mile  back  from  the  river,  and  consider 
ably  below  the  fort  upon  the  left  bank.  It  can  be  seen,  I  am  told,  but 
one  mile.  Four  weeks  since  they  had  four  32-pounders  mounted  on  the 
hill,  and  had  a  large  force  of  negroes  at  work.  The  fire  of  gun-boats 
here  would  be  at  a  bad  angle.  On  these  narrow  streams,  with  their 
usually  contracted  channels,  it  would  appear  to  one  very  necessary  to 
have  the  assistance  of  mortars  in  reducing  earth-works  as  strong  and 
complete  as  those  on  the  Tennessee  and  Cumberland  have  been  made. 
The  forts  are  placed,  especially  on  the  Cumberland,  where  no  very  great 
range  can  be  had;  and  they  can  only  be  attacked  in  one  narrow  and 
fixed  line.  Shot  can  dislodge  their  guns  (all  en  larbette) — nothing 


192  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

more.  The  shells  must  burst  at  the  moment,  or  they  pass  harmless, 
while  there  is  little  room  to  regulate  distance  nicely.  There  is  no  ad 
vantage  to  be  gained  by  moving  in  circles  or  otherwise.  Some  of  the 
disadvantages  of  narrow  streams  would  be  partially  removed  by  a  high 
stage  of  water. 

"Fort  Henry  I  have  examined,  and  the  work  is  formidable.  Fort 
Donelson  can  only  be  seen  from  an  easy  range  of  its  guns.  There  are  a 
thousand  rumors;  but  I  conclude  that  the  batteries  upon  both  sides — 
their  situation,  the  character  and  location  of  the  obstructions — may  be 
considered  as  known.  It  is  now  too  late  to  move  against  the  works  on 
either  river,  except  with  a  well-appointed  and  powerful  naval  force." 

Another  still  more  important  and  extensive  reconnoissance 
was  undertaken  on  the  16th  of  January  by  the  gun-boats,  ac 
companied  by  an  Army  force,  in  which  a  feigned  assault  was 
made  upon  Fort  Henry.  It  is  thus  narrated  by  Lieutenant 
Phelps : 

"  On  the  16th  we  proceeded  up  the  river,  accompanied  by  the  trans 
port-steamer  Wilson,  having  on  board  a  force  of  five  hundred  men — 
infantry  and  artillery — under  command  of  Major  Ellston,  and  anchored 
for  the  night  near  where  the  Tennessee  line  strikes  the  right  bank  of 
the  river.  A  few  miles  above  Paducah  the  Lexington  struck  a  rock,  and 
lay  upon  it  over  an  hour,  but  was  not  apparently  much  injured.  In  the 
morning  (17th)  we  proceeded  up  to  near  Fort  Henry — the  transport  re 
maining  a  little  below — and  shelled  the  river  bank  at  a  point  where  all 
informants  have  uniformly  reported  a  masked  battery  of  two  rifled 
guns;  but  we  did  not  succeed  in  drawing  its  fire,  although  we  ap 
proached  to  abreast  the  place.  We  also  fired  a  few  shells  at  Fort  Henry 
— two  and  a  half  miles — too  distant  for  effect.  Having  complied  with 
General  Smith's  wish  in  feigning  an  attack,  at  early  morn,  with  the 
whole  force  in  view,  we  dropped  below  to  Aurora,  where  the  troops  dis 
embarked  and  marched  for  Murray.  The  transport  returned  down 
stream,  while  the  two  gun-boats  again  returned  to  the  neighborhood  of 
Fort  Henry,  and  remained  overnight  at  anchor  about  three  and  a  half 
miles  by  water  below  the  fort.  The  rebels  made  numbers  of  signals  in 
the  evening.  In  the  morning  we  left  there,  coming  directly  down.  A 
charge  of  slugs  was  fired  yesterday  at  a  group  of  officers,  and  Mr.  Ham 
ilton,  gunner,  was  slightly  wounded  in  the  neck. 


Correspondence  about  Mortar-boats.  193 

"  There  was  a  coal-barge  lying  at  a  landing  some  three  miles  below 
Fort  Henry,  on  the  Kentucky  side,  evidently  taken  there  to  freight  a 
quantity  of  wood  thrown  down  from  the  banks  in  readiness,  and  the 
wood  could  only  have  been  intended  for  use  at  the  fort.  I  therefore 
seized  the  barge,  loaded  the  wood  on  it,  and  brought  it  down.  The 
barge,  or  flat,  is  a  very  fine  one,  and  might  be  of  service  at  Cairo.  I  also 
cut  adrift  a  small  wood-boat  at  the  same  landing,  to  prevent  its  use  in 
transporting  supplies  to  the  rebels." 

The  use  of  mortar-boats  for  the  reduction  of  the  forts  on 
the  Cumberland  and  Tennessee  rivers  became  now  an  earnest 
question  between  Foote  and  the  government.  General  Hal- 
leek,  who  had  been  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  West 
ern  Department,  was  the  medium  of  communication. 

"  ST.  Louis,  January  17,  1862. 
"  FLAG-OFFICER  FOOTE,  Cairo : 

"  COMMODORE, — General  McClellan  wishes  to  know  if  it  would  be  of 
much  advantage  in  any  expedition  up  the  Tennessee  and  Cumberland  to 
have  the  mortar-boats  armed.  Can  they  be  used  with  advantage  on  such 
an  expedition  ?  Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  H.  W.  HALLECK,  Major-General." 

The  flag-officer  replied  in  favor  of  the  effectiveness  of  mor 
tar-boats;  but  the  difficulty  seemed  to  lie  in  the  Ordnance 
Department,  which,  for  some  reason  or  other,  was  behind 
hand  in  its  preparations — so  much  so  that  Fox,  the  Assistant- 
Secretary,  writes  (January  27th) : 

"  The  President  is  very  much  exercised  in  the  matter,  and  I  do  not 
blame  him.  He  telegraphed  to  Pittsburg,  and  they  replied  that  two 
beds  were  ready.  I  doubt  if  the  history  of  any  war  ever  furnished  such 
an  exposure.  The  plan  matured  and  commenced  last  summer,  the  boats 
built,  the  gun-boats  in  good  condition,  the  river  high,  the  time  come  to 
make  the  movement  coincide  with  others,  and  only  two  beds  ready.  The 

President  has  determined  to  remove from  the  Ordnance,  and  it 

has  shaken  his  confidence  in  many  others.  The  result  of  the  whole  mat 
ter  is  a  delay  and  change  of  programme.  Our  twenty  mortar  vessels 
have  partly  sailed,  and  will  probably  all  be  off  in  the  course  of  ten  days. 


194  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

I  think  their  success  under  Porter  will  shame  the  Army  people  for  their 
great  crime  in  neglecting  these  boats.  Halleck  seems  to  take  no  inter 
est  in  your  part  of  the  expedition,  but  I  advise  him  to  obey  orders  about 
furnishing  you  with  men.  Your  daily  telegraph  to  Wise  goes  to  the 
President,  who  very  wisely  has  taken  this  matter  into  his  own  hands." 

Quartermaster  H.  A.  Wise  also  writes  (January  31st) : 

"  With  respect  to  the  mortar-rafts,  and  the  amount  of  shells  required, 
the  President  remarked  that  he  thought  it  would  be  expedient  to  re 
ceive  all  the  mortars  and  shells  sent  to  Cairo,  so  as  to  be  able  to  meet 
any  probable  amount  of  work  that  may  be  demanded ;  that  he  wished 
you  to  be  sure,  when  you  opened  fire  on  Columbus,  '  to  rain  the  rebels 
out,'  as  he  desired  to  '  treat  them  to  a  refreshing  shower  of  sulphur  and 
brimstone.'  The  President  added  his  commendation  of  the  energy  you 
have  displayed  in  the  matters  intrusted  to  your  charge.  He  is  evidently 
a  practical  man,  understands  precisely  what  he  wants,  and  is  not  turned 
aside  by  any  one  when  he  has  his  work  before  him.  He  knows  and  ap 
preciates  your  past  and  present  ardent  services,  and  is  firmly  resolved  to 
afford  you  eveiy  aid  in  the  work  in  hand." 

The  question  of  the  use  of  mortar-boats  on  the  Tennessee 
and  Cumberland  rivers  was  practically  decided  by  Foote's 
attacking  the  forts  without  waiting  for  their  assistance. 

When  all  was  ready,  the  following  dispatch  was  sent,  the 
proposition  contained  in  it  having  come  from  Foote  to  Grant : 

"  CAIRO,  January  28,  1862. 

"  General  Grant  and  myself  are  of  the  opinion  that  Fort  Henry,  on  the 
Tennessee  River,  can  be  carried  with  four  iron-clad  gun-boats  and  troops, 
and  be  permanently  occupied.  Have  we  your  authority  to  move  for  that 
purpose  when  ready  ?  (Signed)  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 

"  Major-General  Halleck." 

Information  had  come  that  there  were  five  thousand  men 
at  Fort  Henry,  it  having  been  reinforced ;  add  to  these  the 
force  at  Dover,  and  there  would  be  about  six  thousand  men. 
Evidently  there  was  an  expectation  of  an  attack,  although 
many  movements  on  the  Mississippi  and  the  other  rivers  had 
served  to  confuse  and  blind  the  enemy.  They  did  not  know 


Fort  Henry.  195 


where  the  blow  would  be  struck ;  but  they  felt  that  it  must 
come  soon  and  come  heavily,  and  great  anxiety  was  mani 
fested  to  be  ready  for  it. 

Fort  Henry*  was  situated  on  low,  marshy  land  on  the  east 
ern  or  right  bank  of  the  Tennessee  River,  in  Stewart  County, 
Tennessee,  about  sixty  miles  above  Paducah.  It  lay  in  a 
bend  of  the  stream,  and  was  at  times  almost  surrounded  by 
water;  its  guns  commanded  a  reach  of  the  river  below,  to 
ward  "Panther  Island,"  for  about  two  miles.  It  was  a  strong 
earth-work,  constructed  with  much  scientific  skill,  covering 
ten  acres,  with  five  bastions  from  four  to  six  feet  high,  the 
embrasures  knitted  together  firmly  with  sand-bags;  and  its 
armament  consisted  of  seventeen  heavy  guns,  one  of  them  a 
10-inch  colurnbiad  (120-pounder),  one  24-pounder  rifle,  twelve 
32-pounders,  one  24-pounder  siege-gun,  and  two  12-pounders.f 
The  fort  had  accommodations  for  an  army  of  fifteen  thou 
sand  men,  but  at  the  time  of  its  capture  was  defended  by 
probably  about  three  thousand  troops,  including  those  that 
were  encamped  outside  of  the  main  works,  who,  during  the 
battle,  retreated  precipitately  to  Fort  Donelson.  It  was  com 
manded  by  Brigadier-General  Lloyd  Tilghman,  a  Marylander, 
and  a  graduate  of  West  Point. 

On  the  30th,  an  order  came  from  General  Halleck  to  the 
combined  forces  to  proceed  to  the  attack  of  Fort  Henry. 
Active  operations  were  immediately  commenced,  and  on  the 
morning  of  Sunday,  2d  of  February,  Foote  left  Cairo  with  a 
small  fleet  of  seven  vessels,  four  armored  and  three  wooden. 
The  fleet  moved  up  the  Ohio  to  Paducah,  and  that  evening 
was  in  the  Tennessee  River. 

Grant's    army,  composed    of    the    divisions    of    Generals 

*  For  map  of  Fort  Henry,  see  p.  200. 

t  Authorities  differ  in  some  particulars  in  their  description  of  the  fort. 
I  have  mainly  followed  Lossing's  account  of  the  fort  and  the  battle,  to 
gether  with  the  official  reports  issued  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 


196  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

McClernaud  and  C.  F.  Smith,  were  embarked  in  transports, 
and  proceeded  to  Paducah,  whence  they  were  convoyed  the 
next  day  by  the  gun-boats  to  a  point  a  few  miles  below  the 
fortification,  out  of  range  of  its  guns,  where  they  were  landed. 
From  Paducah,  Foote  wrote  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  a 
letter  which  gives  some  idea  of  his  own  view  of  his  state  of 
preparation  for  the  contest : 

"U.  S.  GUN-BOAT  'TAYLOR,'  PADUCAH,  February  3,  1862. 

"  SIR, — I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you  that  I  left  Cairo  yesterday 
with  this  vessel,  having  ordered  the  armored  gun-boats  Essex,  Caronde- 
let,  Cincinnati,  and  St.  Louis  to  precede  me  to  Paducah,  and  arrived  here 
last  evening. 

"  To-day  I  propose  ascending  the  Tennessee  River  with  the  four  new 
armored  boats,  and  the  old  gun-boats  Taylor,  Conestoga,  and  Lexington,  in 
convoy  of  the  troops  under  General  Grant,  for  the  purpose  of  conjointly 
attacking  and  occupying  Fort  Henry  and  the  railroad  bridge  connect 
ing  Bowling  Green  with  Columbus.  The  transports  have  not  yet  arrived, 
although  expected  last  night  from  Cairo,  which  causes  detention ;  while, 
in  the  mean  time,  unfortunately,  the  river  is  falling.  I  am  ready  with 
the  seven  gun-boats  to  act  offensively  whenever  the  Army  is  in  condition 
to  advance ;  and  have  every  confidence,  under  God,  that  we  shall  be  able 
to  silence  the  guns  of  Fort  Henry  and  its  surroundings,  notwithstanding 
I  have  been  obliged,  for  want  of  men,  to  take  from  the  five  boats  remain 
ing  at  Cairo  all  their  men,  except  a  sufficient  number  to  man  one  gun 
boat  for  the  protection  of  that  important  point. 

"  I  have  left  Commander  Kilty  as  senior  officer  in  charge  of  the  gun 
and  mortar  boats  at  Cairo,  ordering  him,  with  the  assistance  of  Fleet- 
Captain  Pennock,  to  use  every  effort  in  obtaining  more  men  and  for 
warding  the  early  equipment  of  the  mortar-boats.  It  is  peculiarly  unfor 
tunate  that  we  have  not  been  able  to  obtain  men  for  the  flotilla,  as  they 
only  are  wanting  to  enable  me  to  have  at  this  moment  eleven  full- 
manned,  instead  of  seven  partially  manned  gun-boats,  ready  for  efficient 
operations  at  any  point.  The  volunteers  from  the  Army  to  go  in  the 
gun-boats  exceed  the  number  of  men  required ;  but  the  derangement  of 
companies  and  regiments,  in  permitting  them  to  leave,  is  the  reason  as 
signed  for  not  more  than  fifty  of  the  number  having  been  thus  far  trans 
ferred  to  the  flotilla. 


Order  No.  l.  197 


"  I  inclose  a  copy  of  my  orders  to  the  commanders  of  the  gun-boats, 
in  anticipation  of  the  attack  on  Fort  Henry ;  also  a  copy  of  orders  to 
Lieutenant-Commanding  Phelps,  who  will  have  more  especial  charge  of 
the  old  gun-boats,  and  operate  in  a  less  exposed  condition  than  the 
armored  boats.  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  etc., 

"  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 

u  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles,  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

The  orders  referred  to  are  the  following,  which,  as  they 
were  strictly  carried  out,  form,  as  it  were,  Foote's  plan  of 

operations : 

(Order  No.  1.) 

"  U.  S.  GUN-BOAT  '  TAYLOK,*  OHIO  RIVER,  February  2,  1862. 

"  The  captains  of  the  gun-boats,  before  going  into  action,  will  always 
see  that  the  hoods  covering  the  gratings  of  the  hatches  at  the  bows  and 
sterns,  and  elsewhere,  are  taken  off;  otherwise  great  injury  will  result 
from  the  concussion  of  the  guns  in  firing.  The  anchors  also  must  be  un- 
stocked  if  they  interfere  with  the  range  of  the  bow  guns. 

"  In  attacking  the  fort,  the  first  order  of  steaming  will  be  observed,  as 
by  the  vessels  being  parallel  they  will  be  much  less  exposed  to  the  ene 
my's  range  than  if  not  in  a  parallel  line ;  and  by  moving  ahead  or  astern, 
which  all  the  vessels  will  do  by  following  the  motions  of  the  flag-ship,  it 
will  be  difficult  for  the  enemy  to  get  an  accurate  range  of  the  gun-boats. 

"  Equal  distances  from  one  another  must  be  observed  by  all  the  ves 
sels  in  action.  The  flag-ship  will,  of  course,  open  the  fire  first,  and  then 
others  will  follow  when  good  sight  of  the  enemy's  guns  in  the  fort  can 
be  obtained.  There  must  be  no  firing  until  correct  sights  can  be  obtain 
ed,  as  this  would  be  not  only  throwing  away  ammunition,  but  it  would 
encourage  the  enemy  to  see  us  firing  wildly.  The  captains  will  enforce 
upon  their  men  the  absolute  necessity  of  observing  this  order ;  and  let  it 
be.  also  impressed  upon  every  man  firing  a  gun  that,  while  the  first  shot 
may  be  either  of  too  much  elevation  or  too  little,  there  is  no  excuse  for 
a  second  wild  fire,  as  the  first  will  indicate  the  inaccuracy  of  the  aim  of 
the  gun.  Let  it  be  reiterated  that  random  firing  is  not  a  mere  waste  of 
ammunition,  but  it  encourages  the  enemy  when  he  sees  shot  and  shell 
falling  harmlessly. 

"  The  great  object  is  to  dismount  the  guns  in  the  fort  by  the  accuracy 
of  our  fire,  although  a  shell  in  the  mean  time  may  occasionally  be 
thrown  in  among  a  body  of  the  enemy's  troops. 


1 98  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

"  When  the  flag-ship  ceases  firing,  it  will  be  a  signal  for  the  other  ves 
sels  also  to  cease.  As  the  vessels  will  be  all  so  near  one  another,  verbal 
communication  will  be  held  with  the  commander-in-chief  when  it  is 
wanted.  The  commander-in-chief  has  every  confidence  in  the  spirit  and 
valor  of  the  officers  and  men  under  his  command,  and  his  only  solicitude 
arises  lest  the  firing  should  be  too  rapid  for  precision,  and  that  coolness 
and  order,  so  essential  to  complete  success,  should  not  be  observed ;  and 
hence  he  has,  in  this  general  order,  expressed  his  views,  which  must  be 
observed  by  all  under  his  command.  A.  H.  FOOTE, 

"  Flag-Officer  Commanding  Naval  Forces  on  Western  Waters." 

(Order  No.  2.) 
"U.  S.  GUN-BOAT  '  TAYLOR,'  OHIO  RIVER,  February  2,  1862. 

"The  division  of  the  three  gun-boats  not  armored,  and,  consequently, 
not  prepared  to  encounter  at  so  short  a  range  the  batteries  of  the  fort  as 
the  four  armored  boats,  will  take  a  position  astern,  and,  if  practicable, 
inshore  of  the  right  of  the  main  division.  Lieutenant-Commanding 
Phelps,  in  charge  of  this  division,  from  his  great  experience  and  success 
ful  charge  of  our  interest  for  most  of  the  time  on  the  Tennessee  and 
Cumberland  rivers,  will,  I  trust,  be  enabled  to  throw  shells  into  Fort 
Henry,  with  no  greater  exposure  of  his  division,  comparatively,  than  to 
that  of  the  armored  boats,  while  the  main  divisio^  more  directly  in  the 
.  face  of  the  fort,  attempts  to  dismount  its  guns  in  close  range.  The  cap 
tains  of  this  division  will  also  see  that  no  gun  is  fired  without  accurate 
aim,  as  we  have  no  ammunition  to  throw  away. 

"  Great  care  must  be  observed  lest  our  troops  should  be  mistaken  for 
the  enemy.  When  the  main  division  ceases  firing,  it  will  be  an  indica 
tion  that  the  fort  is  ready  to  surrender.  A.  H.  FOOTE." 

(Order  No.  3.) 
"  U.  S.  GUN-BOAT  *  TAYLOR,'  PADUCAH,  February  2, 1862. 

"  Lieutenant-Commanding  Phelps  will,  as  soon  as  the  fort  shall  have 
surrendered,  and  upon  signal  from  the  flag-ship,  proceed  with  the  Con- 
estoga,  Taylw,  and  Lexingt&n  up  the  river  to  where  the  railroad  bridge 
crosses,  and  if  the  Army  shall  not  already  have  got  possession,  he  will 
destroy  so  much  of  the  track  as  will  entirely  prevent  its  use  by  the  rebels. 

"  He  will  then  proceed  as  far  up  the  river  as  the  stage  of  water  will 
admit,  and  capture  the  enemy's  gun-boats,  and  other  vessels  which  might 
prove  available  to  the  enemy.  A.  H.  FOOTE."  ' 


Moving  of  Combined  Forces  on  Fort  Henry.   1 99 

It  was  necessary  to  move  cautiously  up  the  Tennessee  on 
account  of  torpedoes.  After  some  delay  from  this  source, 
under  the  skillful  direction  of  Lieutenant  Phelps,  eight  of 
these  "floating  mines"  were  successfully  fished  up  in  the 
channel  off  Panther  Island.  "  They  were  cylinders  of  sheet- 
iron,  five  feet  and  a  half  long,  pointed  at  each  end,  each  con 
taining  in  a  canvas  bag  seventy-five  pounds  of  gunpowder, 
with  a  simple  apparatus  for  exploding  it  by  means  of  a  per 
cussion-cap,  to  be  operated  upon  by  means  of  a  lever,  extend 
ing  to  the  outside,  and  moved  by  its  striking  a  vessel.  These 
were  anchored  in  the  river  a  little  below  the  surface."* 

As  the  vessels  moved  on,  the  woods  were  shelled  to  dis 
cover  concealed  batteries. 

On  the  night  of  the  5th  there  was  a  severe  storm,  which 
put  the  troops  who  had  been  landed  to  great  inconvenience 
and  suffering,  and  also  flooded  the  neighboring  region,  caus 
ing  the  river  to  rise  rapidly. 

But  on  the  morning  of  the  6th  all  was  in  readiness  for  the 
attack  of  the  combined  forces. 

McClernand's  division  moved  first,  up  the  eastern  side  of 
the  Tennessee,  to  get  into  position  between  forts  Henry  and 
Donelson,  and  be  in  readiness  to  storm  the  former  from  the 
rear,  or  to  intercept  the  retreat  of  the  Conf ederatesx  while  two 
brigades  of  Smith's  division,  that  were  to  make  the  attack, 
marched  up  the  west  side  of  the  river,  to  assist  and  capture 
half-finished  Fort  Hieman,  situated  upon  a  great  hill,  and 
from  that  commanding  point  to  bring  artillery  to  bear  upon 
Fort  Henry,  f 

The  rain  of  the  preceding  night  had  swollen  every  little 
stream,  so  that  it  was  necessary  to  build  bridges  to  get  the 
artillery  over,  and  the  roads  were  in  such  a  condition  that, 


*  Lossing's  "  Civil  War  in  America,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  202,  note. 
t  IUd.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  203. 


200 


Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 


though  the  distance  was  but  five  miles,  and  never  men  worked 
harder,  they  were  still  some  considerable  distance  from  their 
destination  when  the  battle  had  commenced.  General  Lewis 
Wallace,  who  was  with  Smith's  division,  wrote :  "  The  guns 
of  the  fleet  opened  while  we  were  yet  quite  a  mile  from  our 
objective.  Our  line  of  march  was  nearly  parallel  with  the 
line  of  fire  to  and  from  the  gun-boats.  Not  more  than  seven 

hundred  yards  separated 
us  from  the  great  shells, 
in  their  roaring, fiery  pas 
sage.  Without  suffering 
from  their  effect,  we  had 
the  full  benefit  of  their 
indescribable  and  terri 
ble  noise.  Several  times 
I  heard  the  shots  of  the 
fort  crash  against  the 
iron  sides  of  the  boats. 
You  can  imagine  the 
excitement  and  martial 
furor  the  circumstances 
were  calculated  to  in 
spire  our  men  with." 

At  about  ten  o'clock 
on  Thursday  morning, 
February  6th,  the  little 
flotilla  started  slowly  and 
steadily  up  the  river, 
along  the  west  channel, 
by  Panther  Island,  the 
four  iron-clads  leading 
abreast — the  flag-ship  in 
the  centre — and  as  they 
drew  near  the  fort  firing 


The  Attack.  201 


occasionally  from  their  bow  guns.  The  three  wooden  boats, 
according  to  Foote's  orders,  ranged  themselves  abreast,  and 
followed  half  a  mile  or  so  to  the  rear.  At  half-past  twelve 
the  armored  boats  steamed  up  to  a  position  just  diagonally 
across  the  river,  within  six  hundred  yards  of  the  batteries, 
and  opened  their  bombardment.  This  was  responded  to 
vigorously  from  the  fort.  The  firing,  at  so  short  a  dis 
tance,  was  destructively  accurate,  especially  on  the  side  of 
the  gun-boats.  It  was,  in  fact,  terrific.  An  officer  within 
the  fort  relates  that  it  exceeded  in  terror  any  thing  that  the 
imagination  had  pictured  of  the  power  of  shot  and  shell, 
plowing  complete  roads  through  the  earth-works  and  sand 
bags,  dismounting  heavy  guns  and  crippling  others,  setting  on 
fire  and  bringing  down  buildings  within  the  fortification,  and 
cutting  in  two  as  with  a  scythe  large  trees  in  the  neighbor 
hood.  Such  a  hurtling  tempest  of  shot  and  shell  was  rained 
incessantly  upon  the  enemy's  works  from  those  black  floating 
batteries,  which,  however,  in  their  turn  were  exposed  to  a  hot 
fire  from  heavy  guns  well  worked.  Perceiving  by  her  broad 
pennant  that  the  Cincinnati  was  the  flag-ship,  and  that  her 
range  and  firing  were  better  than  that  of  the  other  boats,  the 
rebels  concentrated  upon  her  a  storm  of  solid  shot,  striking 
her  thirty  times.  One  68-pound  conical  shot  struck,  bounding 
in  the  centre  of  the  front  part  of  the  pilot-house,  in  wrhich 
Commodore  Foote,  Captain  Stembel,  a  midshipman,  and  the 
twro  pilots  were  standing ;  it  did  not  perforate  the  vessel,  but 
indented  its  side  deeply.  The  shot  that  pierced  or  took  ef 
fect  were  chiefly  in  the  front  sides  of  the  vessel,  which  were 
not  sheathed,  and  in  the  chimneys  and  works  of  the  upper 
deck.  The  chimneys  were  perforated  by  eight  or  ten  cannon- 
balls,  but  were  still  serviceable  after  the  fight.  A  32-pound 
ball  came  through  the  forward  angle  of  the  starboard  side, 
killing  one  seaman,  and  passed  through  the  whole  length  of 
the  lower  deck  without  further  damage.  Many  sailors  were 


2O2  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

seriously  wounded,  and  why  no  more  were  killed  is  extraor 
dinary,  as  the  Cincinnati  stood  up  nearest  the  batteries — one 
account  says  within  four  hundred  yards — and  took  their  full 
brunt. 

The  other  vessels  also  were  frequently  hit  with  serious  ef 
fect;  and  at  about  twenty  minutes  before  one  o'clock  a  32- 
pound  shot  struck  the  Essex  just  above  one  of  her  bow  guns, 
killing  a  young  officer,  Samuel  B.  Brittan,  master's  mate; 
then  going  through  the  bulkhead  in  front  of  the  boiler,  it 
passed  into  the  flue  of  the  centre  boiler,  occasioning  an  escape 
of  the  steam  and  hot  water,  and  dreadfully  scalding  all  on  the 
forward  gun-deck,  and  the  two  pilots,  who  were  almost  imme 
diately  over  the  front  of  the  boilers.  Twenty  men  and  officers 
were  instantly  killed  or  scalded  by  this  explosion ;  and,  among 
them,  the  brave  Captain  Porter  himself  was  severely  injured. 
The  Essex  was  completely  disabled,  and  was  obliged  at  once 
to  withdraw  from  the  combat. 

But  the  fire  from  the  fleet,  both  of  the  armored  and  wooden 
vessels,  was  so  tremendous  that  the  gunners  of  the  enemy 
were  driven  from  their  posts,  the  10-inch  columbiad  and  other 
heavy  guns  silenced,  and  nothing  could  withstand  its  fury; 
and  after  a  hot  conflict,  lasting  an  hour  and  twenty  minutes, 
in  which  the  forces  raider  General  Tilghman  made  a  most 
determined  resistance,  the  rebel  flag  was  lowered,  and,  amid 
the  wildest  excitement  and  cheers  of  the  crews,  the  victory 
was  declared  for  the  gun-boats. 

It  was  indeed  a  brilliant  naval  victory.  By  the  force  of 
circumstances  that  could  not  be  foreseen  nor  prevented,  the 
glory  as  well  as  the  suffering  of  this  battle  belonged  entirely 
to  the  naval  forces.  The  Army  strove  earnestly  to  share  in 
the  fight,  but  the  impetuosity  of  the  sailors,  combined  with 
the  heavy  state  of  the  roads,  rendered  it  impossible  for  them 
to  come  up  in  time ;  and  when  they  did  come  up,  the  thing 
was  accomplished,  and  the  fort,  with  all  that  it  contained, 


Scene  at  the  Fort. 


203 


was  quietly  handed  over  by  Commodore  Foote  to  General 
Grant. 

"  A  few  minutes  before  the  surrender,"  says  the  Southern 
historian,  Pollard, "  the  scene  in  and  around  the  fort  exhibited 
a  spectacle  of  fierce  grandeur.  Many  of  the  cabins  were  in 
flames.  Added  to  this  were  the  curling  and  dense  wreaths  of 
smoke  from  the  guns ;  the  constant  whizzing  of  fragments  of 
crashing  and  bursting  shells ;  the  deafening  roar  of  artillery ; 
the  black  sides  of  five  or  six  gun-boats,  belching  fire  at  every 
port-hole;  the  volumes  of  smoke  settled  in  dense  masses 
around  the  surrounding  back-waters;  and  up  and  over  that 
fog  on  the  heights,  the  army  of  General  Grant  deploying 
around  our  small  army,  attempting  to  cut  off  its  retreat.  In 
the  midst  of  the  storm  of  shot  and  shell,  the  small  force  out 
side  of  the  fort  had  succeeded  in  gaining  the  upper  road,  the 
gun-boats  having  failed  to  notice  their  movements  until  they 
were  out  of  reach.  To  give  them  further  time,  the  gallant 
Tilghman,  exhausted  and  begrimed  with  powder  and  smoke, 
stood  erect  at  the  middle  battery,  and  pointed  gun  after  gun. 
It  was  clear,  however,  that  the  fort  could  not  hold  out  much 
longer.  A  white  flag  was  raised  by  the  order  of  General 
Tilghman,  who  remarked,  'It  is  vain  to  fight  longer.  Our 
gunners  are  disabled — our  guns  -dismounted.  We  can't  hold 
out  five  minutes  longer.'  As  soon  as  the  token  of  submission 
was  hoisted,  the  gun-boats  came  alongside  the  fort  and  took 
possession  of  it,  their  crews  giving  three  cheers  for  the  Union." 

It  is  related  that,  on  meeting  Foote,  the  rebel  general  re 
marked,  "I  am  glad  to  surrender  to  so  gallant  an  officer." 
Foote  replied,  "  You  do  perfectly  right,  sir,  in  surrendering ; 
but  you  should  have  blown  my  boat  out  of  the  water  before  I 
would  have  surrendered  to  you."  This  is  the  newspaper  ac 
count  ;  but  Foote's  own  account  of  the  interview,  as  related  to 
a  friend,*  is  different  from  this.  "  The  facts  are  these,"  he 

*  Mr.  E.  H.  Leffingwell. 


2O4  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

said :  "  General  Tilghman  came  on  board  my  boat,  evidently 
in  deep  distress,  wringing  his  hands  and  exclaiming,  *  I  am  in 
despair ;  my  reputation  is  gone  forever.'  I  replied,  '  General, 
there  is  no  reason  that  you  should  feel  thus.  More  than 
two  thirds  of  your  battery  is  disabled,  while  I  have  lost  less 
than  one  third  of  mine.  To  continue  the  action  would  only 
involve  a  needless  sacrifice  of  life,  and,  under  the  circum 
stances,  you  have  done  right  in  surrendering.  Moreover,  I 
shall  always  be  ready  to  testify  that  you  have  defended  your 
post  like  a  brave  man.'  I  then  added,  4  Come,  general,  you 
have  lost  your  dinner,  and  the  steward  has  just  told  me  that 
mine  is  ready ;'  and,  taking  him  by  the  arm,  we  walked  to 
gether  into  the  cabin.  This  is  all  that  passed  between  us." 
Admiral  Foote  rarely,  if  ever,  forgot  that  he  was  a  gentle 
man,  and  especially  with  those  whom  the  fate  of  war  had 
made  prisoners. 

We  subjoin  the  modest  report  of  the  commander  of  the 
victorious  fleet,  giving  the  authentic  details  of  the  battle,  and 
which  may  serve  to  correct  errors  in  the  foregoing  brief  ac 
count,  that  has  been  drawn  mostly  from  other  sources : 

"  CAIRO,  ILL.,  February  7,  1862. 

"  SIR, — I  have  the  honor  to  report  that  on  the  6th  instant,  at  half-past 
twelve  o'clock  P.M.,  I  made  an  attack  on  Fort  Henry,  on  the  Tennessee 
River,  with  the  iron-clad  gun-boats  Cincinnati,  Commander  Stembel ;  the 
Essex,  Commander  Porter ;  the  Carondtlet,  Commander  Walke ;  and  St. 
Louis,  Lieutenant-Commanding  Paulding ;  also  taking  with  me  the  three 
old  gun-boats  Conestoga,  Lieutenant-Commanding  Phelps ;  the  Taylor,  Lieu 
tenant-Commanding  Gwin,  and  the  Lexington,  Lieutenant-Commanding 
Shirk,  as  a  second  division,  in  charge  of  Lieutenant-Commanding  Phelps, 
which  took  position  astern  and  inshore  of  the  armored  boats,  doing 
good  execution  there  in  the  action,  while  the  armored  boats  were  placed 
in  the  first  order  of  steaming,  approaching  the  fort  in  a  parallel  line. 

"  The  fire  was  opened  at  seventeen  hundred  yards'  distance  from  the 
flag-ship,  which  was  followed  by  the  other  gun-boats,  and  responded  to 
by  the  fort.  As  .we  approached  the  fort  under  slow  steaming  till  we 
reached  within  six  hundred  yards  of  the  rebel  batteries,  the  fire,  both 


Report  of  the  Battle.  205 

from  the  gun-boats  and  forts,  increased  in  rapidity  and  accuracy  of  aim. 
At  twenty  minutes  before  the  rebel  flag  was  struck,  the  Essex,  unfortu 
nately,  received  a  shot  in  her  boiler,  which  resulted  in  the  wounding,  by 
scalding,  of  twenty-nine  officers  and  men,  including  Commander  Porter, 
as  will  be  seen  in  the  inclosed  list  of  casualties.  The  Essex  then  neces 
sarily  dropped  out  of  line  astern,  entirely  disabled,  and  unable  to  con 
tinue  the  fight,  in  which  she  had  so  gallantly  participated  until  the  sad 
catastrophe.  The  firing  continued  with  unabated  rapidity  and  effect 
upon  the  three  gun-boats  as  they  continued  still  to  approach  the  fort 
with  their  destructive  fire,  until  the  rebel  flag  was  hauled  down,  after  a 
severe  and  closely  contested  action  of  one  hour  and  fifteen  minutes. 

"  A  boat,  containing  the  adjutant-general  and  a  captain  of  engineers, 
came  alongside  after  the  flag  was  lowered,  and  reported  that  General 
Lloyd  Tilghman,  the  commander  of  the  fort,  wished  to  communicate  with 
the  flag-officer,  when  I  dispatched  Commander  Stembel  and  Lieuten 
ant-Commanding  Phelps,  with  orders  to  hoist  the  American  flag  where 
the  Secession  ensign  had  been  flying,  and  to  inform  General  Tilghman 
that  I  would  see  him  on  board  the  flag-ship.  He  came  on  board  soon 
after  the  Union  had  been  substituted  by  Commander  Stembel  for  the 
rebel  flag  on  the  fort,  and  possession  taken. 

"  I  received  the  general,  his  staff,  and  some  sixty  or  seventy  men  as 
prisoners ;  and  a  hospital  ship  containing  sixty  invalids,  together  with 
the  fort  and  its  effects,  mounting  twenty  guns,  mostly  of  heavy  calibre, 
with  barracks  and  tents  capable  of  accommodating  fifteen  thousand  men, 
and  sundry  articles,  which,  as  I  turned  the  fort  and  its  effects  over  to 
General  Grant,  commanding  the  army,  on  his  arrival  in  an  hour  after  we 
had  made  the  capture,  he  will  be  enabled  to  give  the  government  a 
more  correct  statement  of  than  I  am  enabled  to  communicate  from  the 
short  time  I  had  possession  of  the  fort.*  The  plan  of  the  attack,  so  far 
as  the  army  reaching  the  rear  of  the  fort  to  make  a  demonstration  simul 
taneously  with  the  Navy,  was  frustrated  by  the  excessively  muddy  roads 
and  high  stage  of  water  preventing  the  arrival  of  our  troops  until  some 
time  after  I  had  taken  possession  of  the  fort. 

"  On  securing  the  prisoners  and  making  necessary  preliminary  arrange 
ments,  I  dispatched  Lieutenant-Commanding  Phelps,  with  his  division, 
up  the  Tennessee  River,  as  I  had  previously  directed,  and,  as  will  be  seen 
in  the  inclosed  order*  to  him,  to  remove  the  rails,  and  so  far  render  the 

*  It  was  estimated  that  more  than  a  million  dollars'  worth  of  property 
was  captured  at  Fort  Henry. 


2o6  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

bridge  incapable  of  railroad  transportation  and  communication  between 
Bowling  Green  and  Columbus,  and  afterward  to  pursue  the  rebel  gun 
boats,  and  secure  their  capture,  if  possible.  This  being  accomplished,  and 
the  army  in  possession  of  the  fort,  and  my  services  being  indispensable  at 
Cairo,  I  left  Fort  Henry  in  the  evening  of  the  same  day  with  the  Cincin 
nati^  Essex,  and  St.  Louis,  and  arrived  here  this  morning. 

"  The  armored  gun-boats  resisted  effectively  the  shot  of  the  enemy  when 
striking  the  casemate.  The  Cincinnati  (flag-ship)  received  thirty-one 
shots;  the  Essex  fifteen ;  the  St.  Louis  seven;  and  the  Carondelet  six ;  kill 
ing  one  and  wounding  nine  in  the  Cincinnati,  and  killing  one  in  the 
Essex;  while  the  casualties  in  the  latter  amounted  to  twenty-eight  in 
number.  The  Carondelet  and  St.  Louis  met  with  no  casualties. 

"  The  steamers  were  admirably  handled  by  their  commanders  and  offi 
cers,  presenting  only  their  bow  guns  to  the  enemy,  to  avoid  exposure  of 
the  vulnerable  parts  of  their  vessels.  Lieutenant-Commanding  Phelps, 
with  his  division,  also  executed  my  orders  very  effectually,  and  promptly 
proceeded  up  the  river  in  their  further  execution  after  the  capture  of  the 
fort.  In  fact,  all  the  officers  and  men  gallantly  performed  their  duty ;  and, 
considering  the  little  experience  they  have  had  under  fire,  far  more  than 
realized  my  expectations. 

"  Fort  Henry  was  defended  with  the  most  determined  gallantry  by 
General  Tilghman,  worthy  of  a  better  cause,  who,  from  his  own  account, 
went  into  action  with  eleven  guns  of  heavy  calibre  bearing  upon  our 
boats,  which  he  fought  until  seven  of  the  number  were  dismounted  or 
otherwise  rendered  useless.  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  etc., 

"  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 

"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles,  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 


CHAPTEE  XVII. 

RESULTS  OF  THE  CAPTURE  OF  FORT  HENRY. FURTHER  MOVE 
MENTS  OF  THE  GUN-BOATS. PREACHING  AT  CAIRO. 

THERE  were  far  greater  battles  during  the  war,  both  on  land 
and  water,  than  that  sharp  fight  on  the  narrow  river  which  re 
sulted  in  the  fall  of  the  earth-work  of  Fort  Henry — there  was 
the  siege  and  taking  of  the  almost  impregnable  Yicksburg, 
and  there  was  the  splendid  crowning  naval  victory  of  Admiral 
Farragut  at  New  Orleans — but  there  were  few  battles  of  more 
vital  importance  to  the  Union  arms  than  this  earliest  success 
of  the  Western  flotilla.  It  was  a  moment  of  great  gloom  and 
uncertainty  in  the  country's  affairs;  and  this  was  almost  the 
first  marked  success — success  of  such  a  kind  as  had  a  sure 
prophecy  of  the  future  in  it — or,  as  a  Confederate  officer,  Col 
onel  Gilmer,  said  in  his  report,  "  it  was  for  the  enemy  a  great 
success,  as  it  emboldened  him  to  make  the  attack  on  Fort 
Donelson."  It  was  the  triumph  of  a  new  agency  in  war — of 
a  power  the  development  of  which  was  of  incalculable  value, 
not  only  to  the  Northern  cause,  but  to  the  cause  of  all  peoples 
who  were  called  upon  to  fight  for  their  freedom.  The  people 
who  had  iron  and  coal  at  their  command  were  hereafter  to  be 
deemed  unconquerable — they  could  not  be  subjected  or  de 
stroyed.  Above  all,  Fort  Henry  was  the  key  of  the  rebel  po 
sition  in  the  West.  Its  subdual,  with  that  of  Fort  Donelson, 
unlocked  to  our  armies  the  states  of  Kentucky  and  Tennessee, 
leading  General  Halleck  (who,  though  bigoted  in  favor  of  the 
Army,  was  an  earnest  patriot)  to  express  himself  in  his  bul 
letin  of  the  victory  in  these  words :  "  The  flag  of  the  Union  is 
re-established  on  the  soil  of  Kentucky.  It  will  never  be  re- 


208  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

moved."  By  it  the  first  strong  rebel  line  of  defense — the 
spinal  column,  as  it  were — was  broken.  The  control  of  the 
direct  line  of  railroad  which  connected  the  great  rebel  force 
of  Columbus  with  that  at  Bowling  Green  was  secured,  a  point 
far  in  the  rear  of  both  of  these  was  seized,  and  the  road  was 
opened  for  the  southward  advance  of  our  armies.  Bowling 
Green  was  soon  after  evacuated.  The  desperate  battles  of 
Pittsburg  Landing,  Shiloh,  and  Corinth  were  the  logical  con 
sequence  of  the  capture  of  Fort  Henry,  being  the  struggle  on 
the  part  of  the  rebels  to  establish  a  new  line  of  defense  run 
ning  from  Memphis  and  Island  No.  Ten  to  Pittsburg  Land 
ing,  on  the  Tennessee,  and  Chattanooga.  Foote  was  happy  in 
taking  the  initiative  of  victory.  The  movement  was  begun 
which,  with  wavering  and  alternate  success,  and  after  many 
severe  conflicts,  was  in  the  end  slowly  to  bear  down  and  crush 
the  power  of  the  rebellion  at  the  Southwest,  where  its  great 
est  and  final  strength  lay. 

The  military  qualities  and  skill  which  were  displayed  in  the 
battle  of  Fort  Henry  need  not  be  dwelt  upon,  for  they  were 
very  simple  and  thoroughly  characteristic  of  the  commander, 
in  whose  conduct  of  the  affair  we  are  vividly  reminded  of  the 
past,  and  especially  of  the  qualities  exhibited  in  the  Chinese 
"Barrier  Forts"  engagement,  viz.,  a  cool,  scrupulous,  perhaps 
over-cautious  preparation,  and  rapid,  concentrated,  desperately 
close  fighting.  The  boats  drew  nearer  and  nearer  to  the  bat 
teries  in  a  fiercer  death-hug.  It  was  the  Connecticut  sailor  cal 
culating  every  chance  and  every  mishap,  and  then  throwing 
away  all  care  and  fear,  and  fighting  with  incredible  fury.  It 
was  undoubtedly  anticipated  by  Grant  and  the  Army  that  if  the 
gun-boats  were  capable  of  weakening  or  even  reducing  the 
fort,  that  it  would  be  only  after  many  hours,  in  which  time 
they  'would  have  ample  opportunity  to  bear  an  equal  if  not 
predominant  part ;  but  the  matter  was  settled  in  somewhat 
over  an  hour;  while  the  forces  engaged  were  about  equally 


Letter  of  General  Me  demand.  209 

balanced,  since,  in  the  whole  conflict,  Foote  brought  to  bear 
but  eleven  heavy  guns  against  as  many  or  more  of  the  same 
weight  on  the  part  of  the  enemy. 

The  country  and  the  government  received  the  news  of  the 
fall  of  Fort  Henry  with  enthusiasm.  The  loyal  papers  over 
the  whole  country  were  full  of  the  details  of  the  conflict  and 
congratulations  upon  the  happy  event — which  was  one  of 
those  events  not  in  itself  of  great  proportions,  but  whose 
"  singular  felicity  "  depends  upon  its  time,  circumstances,  and 
consequences.  One  of  the  most  generous  acknowledgments  of 
the  victory,  and  one  that  must  have  been  personally  gratify 
ing  to  Foote,  was  the  letter  of  General  McClernand,  written 
the  day  after  the  battle  : 

"  HEAD-QUARTERS,  FIRST  DIVISION,  FORT  FOOTE  ] 
(LATE  HENRY),  TENN.,  Feb.,  1862.  ( 

"  COMMODORE  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer,  Western  Waters : 

"  DEAR  SIR, — As  an  acknowledgment  of  the  consummate  skill  with 
which  you  brought  your  gun-boats  into  action  yesterday,  and  of  the  ad 
dress  and  bravery  displayed  by  yourself  and  your  command,  I  have  taken 
the  liberty  of  giving  the  late '  Fort  Henry '  the  new  and  more  appropriate 
name  of '  Fort  Foote.' 

"Please  pardon  the  liberty  I  have  taken  without  first  securing  your 
concurrence,  as  I  am  hardly  disposed  to  do,  considering  the  liberty  which 
you  took  in  capturing  the  fort  without  my  co-operation. 
"  Very  respectfully  yours,  etc., 

"  JOHN  A.  MCCLERNAND,  Brig.-Gen.,  Com.  First  Division." 

From  the  mass  of  other  letters  and  testimonials  of  honor 
and  gratitude  which  speedily  flowed  in,  we  select  but  these 
two,  as  expressive  at  the  same  time  of  the  value  set  by  the  gov 
ernment  upon  our  commander's  services  and  of  warm  personal 

friendship : 

"NAVY  DEPARTMENT,  February  13, 1862. 

"  SIR, — Your  letter  of  the  7th  instant,  communicating  the  details  of 
your  great  success  in  the  capture  of  Fort  Henry,  is  just  received.  I 
had  previously  informed  you  of  the  reception  of  your  telegraphic  dis- 


2 1  o  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

patch  announcing  the  event,  which  gave  the  highest  satisfaction  to  the 
country. 

"  "We  have  to-day  the  report  of  Lieutenant-Commanding  S.  L.  Phelps, 
with  the  gratifying  result  of  his  successful  pursuit  and  capture  and  de 
struction  of  the  rebel  steamers,  and  the  dispersion  of  the  hostile  camps 
as  far  up  the  Tennessee  River  as  Florence. 

"  I  most  cordially  and  sincerely  congratulate  you,  and  the  officers  and 
men  under  your  command,  on  these  heroic  achievements,  accomplished 
under  extraordinary  circumstances,  and  after  surmounting  great  and  al 
most  insuperable  difficulties.  The  labor  you  have  performed,  and  the 
services  you  have  rendered  in  creating  the  armed  flotilla  of  gun-boats 
on  the  Western  waters,  and  in  bringing  together  for  effective  operation 
the  force  which  has  already  earned  such  renown,  can  never  be  overesti 
mated.  The  Department  has  observed  with  no  ordinary  solicitude  the 
armament  that  has  so  suddenly  been  called  into  existence,  and  which 
under  your  well-directed  management  has  been  so  gloriously  effective. 
"  I  am,  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"GIDEON  WELLES. 

"  Flag-Officer  A.  H.  Foote,  U.  S.  N.,  commanding  | 
Gun-boat  Flotilla,  etc.,  Cairo,  111."  ) 

"NAVY  DEPARTMENT,  February  8, 1862. 

"DEAR  FLAG-OFFICER, — You  have  been  rewarded  for  the  trials  and 
sublime  patience  of  the  labors  you  have  given  to  your  work,  and  crowned 
wTith  victory.  Of  yourself,  we  all  knew  that  the  hour  of  trial  for  you  was 
but  the  hour  of  success.  Another  fort  knocked  over  by  the  Navy  is  my 
reward.  The  victory  is  very  important,  as  this  stage  of  the  river,  I  pre 
sume,  gives  you  access  even  to  Nashville  if  you  take  the  Cumberland. 
You  will  also  strengthen  the  branch  of  the  service  with  the  great  West, 
where  the  empire  soon  will  be.  Your  telegraph  came  at  noon,  and  we 
sent  it  immediately  to  Congress,  where  it  gave  intense  satisfaction.  Be 
lieving  that  you  will  carry  our  arms  wherever  your  flag  can  penetrate, 
I  am  sincerely  yours,  G.  V.  Fox. 

"  Flag-Officer  A.  H.  Foote,  U.  S.N.,  commanding  Western  Flotilla." 

The  following  letter  shows  on  the  part  of  Commodore  Foote 
a  characteristic  courtesy,  as  well  as  a  positive  assertion  of  prin 
ciples  : 


Expedition  up  the  Tennessee.  211 

"  CAIKO,  February  10, 1862. 

"  Sm,— Your  note  of  the  9th  instant,  referring  to  my  official  telegram 
to  the  Navy  Department,  and  requesting  me  to  correct  an  error  where 
mortars  are  referred  to,  has  been  received. 

"  I  have  as  you  will  see  by  the  inclosed  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy,  stated  to  him  that  I  did  not  speak  of  mortars  at  all  in  my  tele 
gram,  which  was  probably  introduced  by  the  printer  by  mistake. 

"  The  haste  in  which  my  dispatch  was  prepared,  or,  rather,  the  short 
time  I  remained  after  .the  fort  surrendered,  I  find  has  led  me  into  several 
little  errors  referred  to  in  my  letter  to  the  Secretary.  Still,  to  show  that 
I  intended  to  represent  matters  fairly,  I  did  not,  either  in  my  telegram  or 
report,  speak  of  our  four  armed  boats  having,  I  believe  with  a  single  ex 
ception,  fired  or  used  but  the  eleven  bow  guns — two  in  the  Essex,  and 
three  in  the  other  three  boats.  I  appreciate  your  high  qualities  of  cour 
age  and  other  characteristics  (always  excepting  your  disunion  views  and 
conduct)  too  highly  not  to  wish  to  do  you  every  justice. 

"  I  am,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant,       A.  H.  FOOTE. 

"  General  Lloyd  Tilghman,  Paducah,  Kentucky.1' 

In  accordance  with  the  special  order  of  his  chief,  Lieutenant 
Phelps,  when  the  surrender  of  Fort  Henry  took  place,  started 
at  once  up  the  Tennessee  to  cut  the  railroad  track  between 
Memphis  and  Bowling  Green,  and  to  capture  rebel  gun-boats 
and  steamers  upon  the  river.  His  report,  as  showing  the  state 
of  the  country,  and  in  many  other  respects,  though  long,  is  so 

interesting  and  valuable,  that  we  give  it  in  full: 

• 

"UNITED  STATES  GUN-BOAT  'CONESTOGA,'  TENNESSEE  } 

RIVER,  February  10, 1862.  j 

«  SIR,— Soon  after  the  surrender  of  Fort  Henry,  on  the  6th  instant,  I 
proceeded,  in  obedience  to  your  orders,  up  the  Tennessee  Eiver,  with  the 
Taylw,  Lieutenant-Commanding  Gwin  *  Lexington,  Lieutenant-Command 
ing  Shirk,  and  this  vessel,  forming  a  division  of  the  flotilla,  and  arrived 
after  dark  at  the  railroad  crossing,  twenty-five  miles  above  the  fort,  hav 
ing  on  the  way  destroyed  a  small  amount  of  camp  equipage  abandoned 
by  the  flying  rebels.  The  draw  of  the  bridge  was  found  closed,  and  the 
machinery  for  turning  it  disabled.  About  a  mile  and  a  half  above  were 
several  rebel  transport  steamers  escaping  up  stream. 


212  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

"  A  party  was  landed,  and  in  one  hour  I  had  the  satisfaction  to  see  the 
draw  open.  The  Taylor  being  the  slowest  of  the  gun-boats,  Lieutenant- 
Commanding  Gwin  landed  a  force  to  destroy  a  portion  of  the  railroad 
track,  and  to  secure  such  military  stores  as  might  be  found,  while  I  di 
rected  Lieutenant-Commanding  Shirk  to  follow  me  with  all  speed  in 
chase  of  the  fleeing  boats.  In  five  hours  this  boat  succeeded  in  forcing 
the  rebels  to  abandon  and  burn  three  of  their  boats  loaded  with  military 
stores.  The  first  one  fired  (Samuel  Orr)  had  on  board  a  quantity  of  sub 
marine  batteries,  which  very  soon  exploded.  The  second  was  freighted 
with  powder,  cannon,  shot,  grape,  balls,  etc.  Fearing  an  explosion  from 
the  fired  boats — there  were  two  together — I  had  stopped  at  a  distance  of 
one  thousand  yards ;  but  even  there  our  skylights  were  broken  by  the 
concussion,  the  light  upper  deck  was  raised  bodily,  doors  were  forced 
open,  and  locks  and  fastenings  every  where  broken. 

"The  whole  river,  for  half  a  mile  about,  was  completely  k  beaten  upr 
by  the  falling  fragments  and  the  shower  of  shot,  grape,  balls,  etc.  The 
house  of  a  reported  Union  man  was  blown  to  pieces,  and  it  is  suspect 
ed  that  there  was  design  in  landing  the  boats  in  front  of  the  doomed 
house.  The  Lexington  having  fallen  astern,  and  being  without  a  pilot,  I 
concluded  to  wait  for  botli  of  the  boats  to  come  up.  Joined  by  them, 
we  proceeded  up  the  river.  Lieutenant -Commanding  Gwin  had  de 
stroyed  some  of  the  trestle-work  at  the  end  of  the  bridge,  burning  with 
them  a  lot  of  camp  equipage.  L.  N.  Brown,  formerly  a  lieutenant  in  the 
Navy,  now  signing  himself '  Lieutenant  C.  S.  N.,'  had  fled  with  such  pre 
cipitation  as  to  leave  his  papers  behind.  These  Lieutenant-Commanding 
Gwin  brought  away,  and  I  send  them  to  you,  as  they  give  an  official 
history  of  the  rebel  floating  preparations  on  the  Mississippi,  Cumberland, 
and  Tennessee.  Lieutenant  Brown  had  charge  of  the  construction  of 
gun-boats. 

"  At  night,  on  the  7th,  we  arrived  at  a  landing  in  Hardin  County, 
Tennessee,  known  as  Cerro  Gordo,  where  we  found  the  steamer  Eastport 
being  converted  into  a  gun-boat.  Armed  boat  crews  were  immediately 
sent  on  board,  and  search  made  for  the  means  of  destruction  that  might 
have  been  devised.  She  had  been  scuttled  and  the  suction-pipes  broken. 
These  leaks  were  soon  stopped.  A  number  of  rifle-shots  were  fired  at 
our  vessels,  but  a  couple  of  shells  dispersed  the  rebels.  On  examination 
I  found  that  there  were  large  quantities  of  timber  and  lumber  prepared 
for  fitting  up  the  Eastport ;  that  the  vessel  itself — some  280  feet  long — 
was  in  excellent  condition,  and  already  half  finished ;  considerable  of  the 


Expedition  up  the  Tennessee.  213 

plating  designed  for  her  was  lying  on  the  bank,  and  every  thing  at  hand 
to  complete  her.  I  therefore  directed  Lieutenant-Commanding  Gwin  to 
remain  with  the  Taylor,  to  guard  the  prize  and  to  load  the  lumber,  etc., 
while  the  Lexington  and  the  Conestoga  should  proceed  still  higher  up. 

"  Soon  after  daylight,  on  the  8th,  we  passed  Eastport,  Mississippi ;  and 
at  Chickasaw,  farther  up,  near  the  state-line,  seized  two  steamers — the 
Sallie  Wood  and  Muscle— the  former  laid  up,  and  the  latter  freighted  with 
iron  destined  for  Richmond  and  for  rebel  use.  We  then  proceeded  on 
up  the  river,  entering  the  State  of  Alabama,  and  ascending  to  Florence, 
at  the  foot  of  the  Muscle  Shoals.  On  coming  in  sight  of  the  town,  three 
steamers  were  discovered,  which  were  immediately  set  on  fire  by  the 
rebels.  Some  shots  were  fired  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  below. 
A  force  was  landed,  and  considerable  quantities  of  supplies,  marked '  Fort 
Henry,'  were  secured  from  the  burning  wrecks.  Some  had  been  landed 
and  stored.  These  I  seized,  putting  such  as  we  could  bring  away  on  our 
vessels,  and  destroying  the  remainder.'  No  flats  or  other  craft  could  be 
found.  I  also  found  more  of  the  iron  and  plating  intended  for  the  East- 
port. 

"  A  deputation  of  citizens  of  Florence  waited  upon  me ;  first,  desiring 
that  they  might  be  able  to  quiet  the  fears  of  their  wives  and  daughters 
with  assurances  from  me  that  they  would  not  be  molested ;  and,  secondly, 
praying  that  I  would  not  destroy  their  railroad  bridge.  As  for  the  first, 
I  told  them  we  were  neither  ruffians  nor  savages,  and  that  we  were  there 
to  protect  from  violence  and  to  enforce  the  law ;  and  with  reference  to 
the  second,  that  if  the  bridge  were  away  we  could  ascend  no  higher,  and 
that  it  could  possess  no  military  importance,  so  far  as  I  saw,  as  it  simply 
connected  Florence  itself  with  the  railroad  on  the  south  bank  of  the 
river. 

"We  had  seized  three  of  their  steamers — one  the  half-finished  gun 
boat — and  had  forced  the  rebels  to  burn  six  others  loaded  with  supplies ; 
and  their  loss,  with  that  of  the  freight,  is  a  heavy  blow  to  the  enemy. 
Two  boats  are  still  known  to  be  on  the  Tennessee,  and  are  doubtless  hid 
den  in  some  of  the  creeks,  where  we  shall  be  able  to  find  them  when 
there  is  time  for  the  search.  We  returned  on  the  night  of  the  8th  to 
where  the  Eastport  lay.  The  crew  of  the  Taylor  had  already  got  on  board 
of  the  prize  an  immense  amount  of  lumber,  etc.  The  crews  of  the  three 
boats  set  to  work  to  finish  the  undertaking,  and  we  have  brought  away 
probably  250,000  feet  of  the  best  quality  of  ship  and  building  lumber, 
and  the  iron,  machinery,  spikes,  plating,  nails,  etc.,  belonging  to  the  rebel 


214  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

gun-boats ;  and  I  caused  the  mill  to  be  destroyed  where  the  lumber  had 
been  sawed. 

"Lieutenant -Commanding  Gwin  hadr  in  our  absence,  enlisted  some 
twenty-five  Tennesseans,  who  gave  information  of  the  encampment  of  Col 
onel  Drew's  regiment  at  Savannah,  Tennessee.  A  portion  of  the  six  or 
seven  hundred  men  were  known  to  be  'pressed'  men,  and  all  were  badly 
armed.  After  consultation,  with  Lieutenants  -  Commanding  Gwin  and 
Shirk,  I  determined  to  make  a  land  attack  upon  the  encampment.  Lieu 
tenant-Commanding  Shirk,  with  thirty  riflemen,  came  on  board  the  Cones- 
toga,  leaving  his  vessel  to  guard  the  Eastport;  and,  accompanied  by  the 
Taylor,  we  proceeded  up  to  that  place,  prepared  to  land  130  riflemen  and 
a  12-pounder  rifle  howitzer.  Lieutenant-Commanding  Gwin  took  com 
mand  of  the  force  when  landed,  but  had  the  mortification  to  find  the 
camp  deserted. 

"  The  rebels  had  fled  at  one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  leaving  consider 
able  quantities  of  arms,  clothing,  shoes,  camp  utensils,  provisions,  imple 
ments,  etc.,  all  of  which  were  secured  or  destroyed,  and  their  winter-quar 
ters  of  log-huts  were  burned.  I  seized  also  a  large  mail-bag,  to  send  you 
the  letters  giving  military  information.  The  gun-boats  were  then  drop 
ped  down  to  a  point  where  arms,  gathered  under  the  rebel  '  press-law,' 
had  been  stored ;  and  an  armed  party,  under  Second-Master  Gondy,  of 
the  Taylor,  succeeded  in  seizing  about  seventy  rifles  and  fowling-pieces. 
Returning  to  Cerro  Gordo,  we  took  the  Eastport,  Sallie  Wood,  and  Muscle 
in  tow,  and  came  down  the  river  to  the  railroad  crossing.  The  Muscle 
sprang  aleak,  and  all  efforts  failing  to  prevent  her  sinking,  we  were 
forced  to  abandon  her,  and  with  her  a  considerable  quantity  of  fine  lum 
ber.  We  are  having  trouble  in  getting  through  the  draw  of  the  bridge 
here. 

"  I  now  come  to  the,  to  me,  most  interesting  part  of  this  report — one 
which  has  already  become  too  long ;  but  I  must  trust  you  will  find  some 
excuse  for  this  in  the  fact  that  it  embraces  a  history  of  labor  and  move 
ments,  day  and  night,  from  the  6th  to  the  10th  of  the  month,  all  of  which 
details  I  deem  it  proper  to  give  you.  We  have  met  with  the  most  gratify 
ing  proofs  of  loyalty  every  where  across  Tennessee,  and  in  the  portions  of 
Mississippi  and  Alabama  which  we  visited.  Most  affecting  instances  greet 
us  almost  hourly.  Men,  women,  and  children  several  times  gathered  in 
crowds  of  hundreds,  shouted  their  welcome,  and  hailed  their  national  flag 
with  an  enthusiasm  there  was  no  mistaking — it  was  genuine  and  heart 
felt.  These  people  braved  every  thing  to  go  to  the  river  bank,  where 


Expedition  up  the  Tennessee.  215 

a  sight  of  their  flag  might  once  more  be  enjoyed ;  and  they  have  experi 
enced,  as  they  related,  every  possible  form  of  persecution.  Tears  flowed 
freely  down  the  cheeks  of- men  as  well  as  of  women;  and  there  were 
those  who  had  fought  under  the  stars  and  stripes  at  Moultrie  who  in  this 
manner  testified  their  joy. 

"  This  display  of  feeling  and  sense  of  gladness  at  our  success,  and  the 
hopes  it  created  in  the  breasts  of  so  many  people  in  the  heart  of  the  Con 
federacy,  astonished  us  not  a  little ;  and  I  assure  you,  sir,  I  would  not 
have  failed  to  witness  it  under  any  consideration.  I  trust  it  has  given 
us  all  a  higher  sense  of  the  sacred  character  of  our  present  duties.  I  was 
assured  at  Savannah  that  of  the  several  hundred  troops  there,  more  than 
one  half,  had  we  gone  to  the  attack  in  time,  would  have  hailed  us  as  de 
liverers,  and  gladly  enlisted  with  the  national  force. 

"  In  Tennessee  the  people  generally,  in  their  enthusiasm,  braved  Seces 
sionists,  and  spoke  their  views  freely ;  but  in  Mississippi  and  Alabama, 
what  was  said  was  guarded.  *  If  we  dared  to  express  ourselves  freely, 
you  would  hear  such  a  shout  greeting  your  coming  as  you  never  heard.1 
4  We  know  there  are  many  Unionists  among  us,  but  a  reign  of  terror 
makes  us  afraid  of  our  shadows.'  We  are  told,  too,  '  Bring  us  a  small 
organized  force,  with  arms  and  ammunition  for  us,  and  we  can  maintain 
our  position  and  put  down  rebellion  in  our  midst.'  There  were,  it  is 
true,  whole  communities  who,  on  our  approach,  fled  to  the  woods ;  but 
these  were  where  there  was  less  of  the  loyal  element,  and  where  the  flee 
ing  steamers  in  advance  had  spread  tales  of  our  coming  with  firebrands, 
burning,  destroying,  ravishing,  and  plundering. 

"  The  crews  of  these  vessels  have  had  a  very  laborious  time,  but  have 
evinced  a  spirit  in  the  work  highly  creditable  to  them.     Lieutenants- 
Commanding  Gwin  and  Shirk  have  been  untiring,  and  I  owe  to  them 
and  their  officers  many  obligations  for  entire  success. 
"  I  am,  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  S.  T.  PHELPS,  Lieutenant-Commanding  U.S.N. 

"  Flag-Officer  A.  H.  Foote,  commanding  1 
Naval  Forces,  Western  Waters."        ) 

It  is  not  surprising  that  special  commendations  should  have 
been  added  to  the  report  of  this  officer ;  and  it  might  be  said 
that  no  man  was  better  supported  by  his  officers  than  was 
Foote  while  at  the  West.  Porter,  Phelps,Walke,  Gwin,  Shirk, 
Sanford,  Pennock,  and  others,  called,  as  they  were,  from  their 

P 


2 1 6  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

business  on  broad  ocean  to  do  unaccustomed  work,  did  the 
Navy  great  credit  by  their  patient  and  courageous  services — 
in  storm  and  fog,  cold  and  heat — on  those  turbid  rivers,  in 
clumsy  vessels  that  seemed,  like  mud-turtles,  made  to  court 
sandbanks,  snags,  low  water,  rapid  currents,  to  say  nothing  of 
torpedoes,  ambuscades,  and  infernal  machines. 

"  U.  S.  FLAG-STEAMER  *  ST.  Louis,'  PADUCAH,  ) 
February  12,  1862.  f 

"  SIR, — I  have  the  honor  and  high  gratification  to  forward  to  the 
Department  the  official  report  of  Lieutenant-Commanding  Phelps,  by 
which  it  will  be  seen  that  he  has,  with  consummate  skill,  courage,  and 
judgment,  performed  a  highly  beneficial  service  to  the  government, 
which,  I  doubt  not,  will  appreciate  it.  I  can  not  too  highly  commend 
the  conduct  of  Lieutenant-Commanding  Phelps  for  this  his  signal  service 
in  his  long  cruise  to  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Tennessee  River. 

"  I  am  now,  with  three  iron-clad  steamers,  ascending  the  Cumberland 
River,  to  co-operate  with  General  Grant  in  an  attack  on  Fort  Donelson. 
Lieutenant-Commanding  Phelps,  with  his  division,  accompanies  me.  In 
great  haste.  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  obedient  servant, 

tk  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 

"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles,  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

We  give  here  a  semi-official  letter  written  by  Lieutenant  J. 
P.  Sanford,  ordnance  officer  of  the  flotilla,  showing  the  efforts 
and  needs  of  another  branch  of  the  gun-boat  service,  no  less 
important  than  others,  and,  in  fact,  forming  the  striking  arm 
of  this  formidable  power : 

"  CINCINNATI,  February  12,  1862. 

"MY  DEAR  FLAG-OFFICER, — I  have  but  a  few  moments  in  which  to 
write.  I  am  so  busy  that  I  have  not  had  the  leisure  even  to  take  my 
regular  meals.  You  have  my  most  hearty  and  cordial  congratulations 
on  your  recent  victory,  and  I  have  to  regret  at  the  same  time  that  I  was 
not  with  you. 

"  I  am  pushing  up  the  work  on  the  arks,  and  expect  to  leave  here  Sat 
urday  evening. 

"  I  telegraphed  to  Pittsburg  and  Washington  for  8-inch  guns  imuiedi- 


Letter  respecting  Ordnance.  217 

ately  on  receipt  of  your  telegram,  and  have  them,  from  Washington, 
ready  to  be  expressed.  One  of  the  guns  I  intend  for  the  St.  Louis.  She 
has  but  two. 

"I  have  just  got  a  telegram  from  Captain  Pennock.  About  two  hun 
dred  additional  rounds  to  be  put  up  at  Pittsburg  Arsenal,  making  in  all 
five  hundred  for  each  gun.  I  pity  the  poor  guns ! 

"The  ammunition-boats  have  large  and  splendid  shell-rooms  and 
magazines.  I  trust  that  what  I  have  done  to  these  boats  will  meet  with 
your  approval.  It  is  no  small  matter  to  fit  up  such  things  as  these  river 
boats  for  eight  hundred  men  and  magazines.  Permit  me  to  suggest  the 
propriety  of  a  guard  of  thirty  soldiers  being  obtained  from  the  Army  to 
do  duty  as  marines.  The  boats  will,  in  my  judgment,  absolutely  need 
them.  I  shall  want  about  five  sentries  on  mine  to  make  all  secure.  A 
lieutenant  could  be  placed  over  them. 

"  I  wrote  to  General  Ripley  a  few  days  since  for  three  hundred  more 
swords— two  hundred  of  them  to  be  distributed  to  gun-boats,  addi 
tional  to  what  they  have,  and  fifty  to  each  of  the  ammunition-boats.  I 
am  putting  a  stiff  piece  of  timber  on  the  guards  on  either  side  of  fore 
castle,  to  receive  bolts  for  breechings,  side  tackles,  etc.,  for  a  32-pounder. 
If  you  did  not  think  it  absolutely  necessary  for  me  to  come  down  with 
the  boats,  I  would  go  to  Pittsburg  about  the  ammunition ;  but  I  suppose 
it  is  proper  I  should  come  down  with  them. 

"  I  can't  get  flat-boatmen.  They  have  all  gone  into  the  Army.  I  pro 
pose  sending  a  first-rate  man  to  Pittsburg  to  drum  up  some.  I  am  told 
my  best  chance  is  there. 

"  I  shall  have  to  leave  nearly  all  my  accounts  here  unsettled,  as  the 
moment  I  can  get  stores,  etc.,  on  board,  I  shall  be  off. 

"  I  have  had  fifty  mess  cloths  made  by  Haggerty  on  a  venture  for  the 
ammunition-boats — not  enough,  but  Captain  Pennock  might  have  some 
spare  ones,  as  I  would  not  load  the  government  with  unnecessary  extras. 
u  Yours  sincerely,  J.  P.  SANFORD,  Ord.  Officer  of  Flotilla." 

In  regard  to  the  feeling  developed  at  the  South  after  the 
battle  of  Fort  Henry,  the  Richmond  Dispatch  of  February 
13th  says:  "Our  Tennessee  exchanges  give  us  gloomy  pros 
pects  for  the  future  in  that  part  of  the  Confederacy.  Several 
leading  journals  intimate  plainly  that  there  is  really  a  threat 
ening  state  of  affairs  in  East  Tennessee,  growing  out  of  the 
idolatrous  love  of  many  of  these  people  for  the  old  Union. 


218  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

The  correspondent  of  the  Memphis  Avalanche  writes  that  the 
condition  of  the  interior  provinces  is  not  improved,  and  the 
people  apprehend  an  immediate  advance  of  the  Northmen." 

While  the  flag-officer  was  at  Cairo,  the  first  Sunday  after 
the  capture  of  Fort  Henry,  the  incident  of  his  "  preaching " 
took  place,  which  caused  much  remark  at  the  time,  and  has, 
indeed,  become  one  of  the  stock  anecdotes  of  the  war.  The 
matter  excited  no  astonishment  to  those  who  knew  him  well ; 
and  to  the  readers  of  this  volume,  who  have  followed  him 
from  his  youth  up,  and  have  become  acquainted  with  his  out 
spoken  religious  character  and  habits,  it  can  cause  no  surprise. 
On  this  Sunday  he  went  to  attend  divine  worship  at  the  Pres 
byterian  Church,  and  found  a  full  congregation  assembled, 
but  no  preacher  present.  "With  his  promptitude  for  business, 
seeing  that  no  one  else  took  the  lead  in  the  emergency,  he  went 
to  the  deacons,  and  endeavored  to  persuade  them  to  conduct 
the  service.  Failing  in  this,  he  himself  mounted  the  pulpit, 
read  the  Scriptures,  made  a  prayer,  and  preached  a  short  dis 
course  from  the  words,  "  Let  not  your  hearts  be  troubled ;  ye 
believe  in  God,  believe  also  in  me."  When  the  sermon, 
which  was  listened  to  attentively  by  a  delighted  audience, 
was  concluded,  an  Army  chaplain,  who  had  in  the  mean  time 
entered  the  house,  stepped  up  to  the  commodore  and  express 
ed  himself  greatly  pleased  with  the  discourse.  The  commo 
dore  replied  pleasantly  (in  no  sharp  terms  of  rebuke,  as  it  was 
represented  by  some)  that  the  chaplain  should  have  come  for 
ward  and  taken  his  place.  These  are  the  simple  facts  of  the 
case  as  given  by  eye-witnesses;  and  with  such  "lay-preach 
ing,"  by  one  who  showed  his  faith  by  his  works,  we,  on  our 
part,  are  not  disposed  to  find  fault.  He  himself  often  de 
clared,  however,  that  this  was  the  last  time  he  should  ever 
attempt  lay-preaching. 

We  can  not  forbear  adding  one  of  the  letters  of  his  hearty 
old  friend,  Commodore  (now  Rear-Admiral)  Joseph  Smith : 


Vote  of  Thanks  by  the  Ohio  Legislature.      219 

"February  14,  1862. 

"  MY  DEAR  FOOTE, — I  have  yours  of  the  9th  instant.  I  hardly  know 
for  which  vocation  to  award  you  the  meed  of  greatest  praise,  as  a  first- 
rate  flag-officer,  or  as  a  '  preacher ' — no  matter  which,  as  you  are  in  high 
estimation  in  both. 

"  The  Burnside  expedition  has  done  nobly.  Goldsborough  got  glory 
enough  to  satisfy  even  his  longings.  Our  cause  looks  cheering,  and  I 
apprehend,  if  only  the  roads  were  passable,  we  should  soon  be  in  posses 
sion  of  all  Virginia.  Porter  has  departed  with  his  mortar-boats,  and  ex 
pects  to  meet  you  with  yours  at  New  Orleans.  I  have  but  a  faint  idea 
of  your  boats,  that  they  fight  end  on — only  bow  and  stern  guns  to  be 
used,  and  I  presume  you  can  use  but  two  at  either  end.  You  see  a  bill 
reported  for  reorganizing  the  Navy  Department.  Nobody  says  any 
thing  to  me  on  the  subject.  Fox  is  the  moving  power.  I  could  make  a 
better  bill,  and  organize  a  Board  of  Admiralty. 

"  Your  successes  will  bear  you  up  against  all  the  pressure  your  posi 
tion  loads  you  with.  Anna  thinks  her  bauble  will  carry  you  through  vic 
toriously.  You  are  on  the  top  round  of  the  ladder,  and  therefore  you 
have  very  little  more  to  do. 

"  I  hope  you  will  make  the  Benton  go,  as  you  were  authorized  to  incur 
the  expense  to  do  so.  Yours  truly,  in  haste,  JOSEPH  SMITH." 

The  following  vote  of  thanks  was  passed  (February  14, 
1862)  by  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Ohio : 

"  Resolved,  by  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  that  the 
thanks  of  the  people  of  Ohio  be,  and  through  their  representatives  are 
hereby  tendered  to  General  Grant  and  Flag-Officer  Foote,  and  the  brave 
men  under  their  command,  for  the  courage,  gallantry,  and  enterprise 
exhibited  in  the  bombardment  and  capture  of  Fort  Henry — a  victory  no 
less  brilliant  in  itself  than  glorious  in  its  results,  giving  our  Army  a  foot 
hold  in  Tennessee,  and  opening  the  way  for  an  early  advance  to  the  cap 
ital  of  that  state. 

"  Resolved,  That  the  governor  transmit  copies  of  these  resolutions  to 
said  officers,  with  the  request  that  the  same  be  read  to  the  men  under 
their  command. 

"  JAMES  R  HUBBELL,  Speaker  of  House  of  Representatives. 
B.  STANTON,  President  of  the  Senate." 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


DONELSON. HE    IS    WOUNDED. CORRESPONDENCE. 

As  soon  as  Fort  Henry  fell  into  our  power,  great  efforts 
were  made  by  the  rebels,  now  thoroughly  aroused  and  alarm 
ed,  to  strengthen  the  corresponding  fortified  post  upon  the 
Cumberland  River.  Russelville  and  Bowling  Green  were 
virtually  evacuated,  and  great  numbers  of  troops,  to  the 
amount  of  some  twenty-five  thousand,  were  immediately  con 
centrated  at  Fort  Donelson.  General  Btishrod  Johnson,  with 
Buckner,  Pillow,  and  Floyd,  threw  themselves  into  the  place, 
and  every  thing  looked  like  a  most  determined  resistance,  as 
if  the  fate  of  the  whole  war  were  to  be  staked  upon  it.  And, 
in  some  respects,  this  was  true.  The  post  was  one  of  vast 
strength,  both  by  nature  and  art.  Floyd  wrote  to  Richmond, 
with  more  of  sincerity,  probably,  than  was  customary  with 
him:  "Have  no  fear  about  us.  The  place  is  impregnable; 
the  enemy  can  never  take  it." 

Fort  Donelson*  was  situated  twelve  miles  southeast  of  Fort 
Henry,  upon  the  west  bank  of  the  Cumberland,  a  mile  below 
Dover,  where  the  stream  makes  a  sudden  turn  to  the  west 
ward,  and  then  again  to  the  northward.  It  is  a  broken, 
irregular  country,  and  the  hills,  or  knolls,  rise  from  the  river 
quite  abruptly  to  a  hundred  or  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in 
height.  Upon  one  of  these  eminences  stood  the  fort,  con 
taining  a  hundred  acres.  It  was  surrounded  by  creeks  and 
deep  ravines.  Its  own  works  were  strong,  and  line  beyond 

*  For  map  of  Fort  Donelson,  see  p.  222. 


Movement  on  Fort  Donelson.  221 

line  of  intrenchrnents,  redoubts,  and  rifle-pits  stretched  far 
around  over  the  neighboring  hills  and  valleys.  The  water- 
line  of  batteries,  for  commanding  the  river  approaches,  with 
their  guns  trained  down  stream,  formed  the  most  powerful 
means  of  defense,  and  consisted  of  three  tiers  of  batteries,  the 
lower  one  near  the  water,  the  second  fifty  feet  above,  and  the 
third  fifty  feet  above  that,  the  lower  or  principal  battery  being 
armed  with  eight  32-pounders  and  one  10-inch  colurnbiad; 
another  bore  a  heavy  rifled  cannon  that  carried  a  128-pound 
bolt,  flanked  by  two  32-pound  carronades.*  These  were  to  be 
tested  by.  the  gun-boats  in  a  combat  of  brief  but  terrible  se 
verity. 

On  the  morning  of  the  12th  of  February  General  Grant  set 
his  army  in  motion  upon  the  three  roads  leading  from  Fort 
Henry  to  Dover ;  and  in  the  afternoon,  without  meeting  with 
resistance,  the  different  bodies  came  in  sight  of  the  fort,  drove 
in  its  pickets,  and  took  up  their  several  positions,  to  be  ready 
for  the  next  day's  assault.  The  forces  within  and  without  the 
fort  were  probably  nearly  equal.  On  the  same  day  Foote 
was  moving  up  the  Cumberland  with  his  gun-boats,  convoy 
ing  transports  filled  with  troops  that  were  to  constitute  Wal 
lace's  Third  Division.f  One  boat,  however,  the  Carondelet, 
Captain  Walke,  had  been  sent  forward  two  days  in  advance 
of  the  other  vessels ;  and  on  the  morning  of  the  13th,  in  con 
nection  with  a  movement  by  a  portion  of  the  land  force, 
this  vessel  made  a  gallant  diversion  in  favor  of  the  Army, 
and  had  the  honor  of  opening  the  siege.  Although  in  the 
rapid  current  she  could  use  only  her  bow  guns,  she  fired  one 
hundred  and  thirty-eight  shots,  until  a  128-pound  shot  enter 
ed  one  of  her  ports  and  injured  her  machinery,  compelling 
her  to  withdraw.  She  renewed  firing  in  the  afternoon,  but 

*  Lossing's  "  Civil  War  in  America,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  209. 
t  IUd.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  210. 


222 


Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 


against  such  heavy  batteries,  single-handed,  and  at  a  compara 
tively  long  range,  could  effect  little. 

The  fighting  on  the  part  of  the  Army  during  that  day  was 
severe  and  indecisive.  There  was,  indeed,  no  general  attack 
made,  as  Grant,  feeling  the  need  of  all  his  power,  was  await 
ing  the  presence  of  the  gun-boats  and  of  Wallace's  Third  Di 
vision  ;  but  an  assault  was  ordered  by  McClernand  upon  one 
of  the  principal  redoubts,  which  developed  into  a  battle  of 
considerable  magnitude,  with  varying  fortune,  though  ending 
in  the  repulse  of  the  National  forces.  That  night,  in  cold 
and  sleet,  without  tents  and  without  provisions,  the  weary 
and  dispirited  troops  lay  upon  the  frozen  ground,  anxiously 
looking  for  the  coming  light  to  renew  the  combat,  and  for 
the  hoped-for  arrival  of  the  flotilla  and  the  transports. 

These  having  come  up,  and  also  a  reserved  force  from  Fort 
Henry,  Grant  proceeded,  as  well  as  he  was  able,  to  complete 
the  investment  of  the  place,  and  prepare  for  the  decisive  battle. 
At  about  three  o'clock  on  the  afternoon  of  the  14th,  the  flotil 
la,  consisting  of  the  armor 
ed  vessels  St.  Louis,  Ca- 
rondelet,  Pittsburg,  and 
Louisville,  forming  the 
first  line,  accompanied  by 
the  wooden  gun-boats  Con- 
estoga,  Taylor,  and  Lex 
ington — the  flag -ship  St. 
Louis  taking  the  lead — 
made  a  direct  attack  upon 
the  water  batteries  (Foote 
giving  orders  not  to  regard 
the  batteries  on  the  bluff), 
and  steaming  straight  up, 
in  the  usual  bold  manner 
of  this  commander,  to  be- 


FT.DONELSON 
FEB,14TH,1862 


Disasters  to  the  Fleet.  223 

tween  three  and  four  hundred  yards  of  their  teeth.  His  in 
tention  was  to  silence  the  batteries  and  pass  them,  so  as  to  gain 
a  position  to  enfilade  the  faces  of  the  fort  with  broadsides.* 
The  firing  on  both  sides  was  soon  very  accurate,  rapid,  and 
destructive.  The  shot  and  shell  from  the  fleet  plowed  into  the 
lower  batteries,  dismounting  guns  and  driving  away  the  gun 
ners,  while  the  heavy  cannon  of  the  fort  played  incessantly 
upon  the  sides  and  decks  of  the  boats.  "Never  was  a  little 
squadron  exposed  to  so  terrible  a  fire.  Twenty  heavy  guns 
were  trained  upon  it,  those  from  the  hill-side  hurling  plung 
ing  shot  with  awful  precision  and  effect,  while  the  boats  could 
reply  with  only  twelve  guns."t  Notwithstanding  this  furious 
fire  from  the  fort  at  a  higher  level,  and  at  so  great  an  advan 
tage,  raking  the  broadsides  of  the  boat  obliquely,  in  which 
some  of  the  128-pound  shots  crushed  through  the  iron  armor, 
carrying  destruction  with  them,  the  boats  held  on  constantly 
to  their  work,  until  the  upper  battery  of  four  guns  was 
silenced,  and  the  men  were  distinctly  seen  flying  from  the 
lower  battery,  and  the  vessels  were  just  on  the  point  of  shoot 
ing  by  and  gaining  a  favorable  position.  It  is  said  (and  we 
give  this  as  an  unauthenticated  report)  that  at  this  time  of  the 
height  of  the  combat  Pillow  telegraphed  to  Governor  Harris : 
"  The  Federal  gun-boats  are  destroying  us.  For  God's  sake, 
send  us  all  the  help  you  can  immediately.  I  don't  care  for 
the  land  force  of  the  enemy;  they  can't  hurt  us  if  you  can 
keep  those  iron  hell-hounds  in  check."  At  this  critical  mo 
ment,  when  things  looked  as  if  victory  were  almost  in  their 
grasp,  the  Louisville  was  disabled  by  a  shot  which  cut  away 
her  rudder-chains,  making  her  totally  unmanageable,  so  that 
she  drifted  with  the  current  out  of  action.  Yery  soon  after 
the  St.  Louis  was  disabled  by  a  shot  through  her  pilot-house, 


*  Lossing's  "Civil  War  in  America,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  213. 

t 


224  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

rendering  her  steering  impossible,  so  that  she  also  floated 
down  the  river.  The  other  two  armored  vessels  were  also  ter 
ribly  struck,  and  a  rifled  cannon  on  the  Carondelet  burst,  so 
that  these  two  could  no  longer,  by  themselves,  sustain  the 
action;  and  after  fighting  for  more  than  an  hour,  the  little 
fleet  was  forced  to  withdraw.  The  immediate  object  of  the 
attack  of  the  gun-boats,  viz.,  to  silence  the  formidable  river 
batteries,  and  to  obtain  a  good  position  to  bombard  the  upper 
works  in  co-operation  with  the  assault  of  the  land  forces, 
which  was  all,  in  fact,  that  the  flotilla  had  the  power  of 
doing,  since  there  was  a  whole  army  within  the  fortifica 
tions  to  be  dislodged  and  conquered,  and  the  boats  could 
not  walk  upon  land — this  object  of  the  attack  was  on  the 
point  of  being  successfully  attained,  when  the  unforeseen 
casualties  that  have  been  related  occurred.  It  was  indeed  a 
hard  disappointment  after  such  persistent  fighting.  Foote,  it  is 
said,  wept  like  a  child  when  the  order  to  withdraw  was  given. 

The  St.  Louis  was  struck  fifty-nine  times ;  the  Louisville 
thirty-six  times;  the  Carondelet  twenty-six;  the  Pittsburg 
twenty;  and  the  four  vessels  receiving  no  less  than  one  hun 
dred  and  forty-one  wounds.  The  attack  was  repulsed,  but  it 
was  through  the  imperfection  of  the  boats  themselves  in  not 
having  sufficient  protection  to  their  machinery,  wheels,  and 
steering  apparatus;  but  the  demoralizing  influence  of  their 
fierce  bombardment  upon  the  fort  could  not  have  been  small, 
and  must  have  helped  toward  the  great  but  hard-won  success 
of  the  next  day.  At  all  events,  the  gun-boats  did  what  they 
could,  and,  until  rendered  entirely  helpless  for  action,  drifting 
like  logs  in  the  rapid  current,  they  were  fought  with  a  deter 
mined  energy  that  looked,  even  to  the  last  moment,  only  to 
victory. 

The  fleet,  gathering  itself  together,  and  rendering  mutual 
help  to  its  disabled  members,  proceeded  to  Cairo  to  repair 
damages,  intending  to  return  immediately  with  a  stronger 


Surrender  of  Fort  Donelson.  225 

naval  force  to  continue  the  siege.  General  Grant  decided  to 
await  their  return,  and  also  the  coming  of  reinforcements  to 
his  army;  but  events  took  place  of  sudden  and  rapid  evolution, 
compelling  him  to  change  his  plans,  and  bringing  on  the  gen 
eral  battle  of  the  next  day.  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  15th, 
two  grand  sorties  by  the  enemy,  the  one  led  by  Generals  Pil 
low  and  Johnson,  and  the  other  by  Buckner,  effected  a  com 
plete  surprise  of  the  National  forces,  caused  most  sanguinary 
lighting,  and  seriously  menaced  the  whole  of  Grant's  right 
wing.  It  was  only  the  prompt  valor  of  Generals  Wallace  and 
McClernand  (in  the  absence  of  Grant,  who  was  in  consulta 
tion  with  Foote),  backed  by  the  dogged  bravery  of  the  West 
ern  troops,  that  prevented  a  total  rout.  When  the  whole 
battle  hung  in  the  balance,  wavering  and  uncertain,  Grant 
himself  came  up,  and  by  a  bold  inspiration  that  snatched  vic 
tory  from  defeat,  he  ordered  McClernand  to  retake  the  hill 
he  had  lost,  and  Smith  to  make  a  simultaneous  attack  on  the 
Confederate  right.*  By  desperate  lighting,  intrenchment 
after  intrenchment  was  carried,  and  that  night  Grant  knew 
that  the  ultimate  triumph  was  his.  Then  took  place  those 
extraordinary  and  hurried  councils  in  the  camp  of  the  enemy 
which  resulted  in  the  escape  of  Floyd  and  Pillow,  and  the 
unconditional  surrender  the  next  morning  by  Buckner  of  the 
stronghold  with  its  army  of  fifteen  thousand — or  what  re 
mained  of  its  army  of  twenty-five  thousand  who  did  not  run 
away — and  its  immense  amount  of  military  stores. 

As  our  business  has  been  to  give  an  account  mainly  of 
those  operations  in  which  Foote  and  the  naval  forces  under 
his  command  were  engaged,  we  have  not  entered  into  a  de 
tailed  history  of  the  assault  and  taking  of  Fort  Donelson.  It 
is,  however,  but  just  and  right  to  give  the  flag-officer's  own 
report  of  his  share  in  that  siege : 

*  Lossing's  u  Civil  War  in  America,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  217. 


226  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

"  FLAG-SHIP  '  ST.  Louis,'  NEAR  FORT  DONELSON,  i 
CUMBERLAND  RIVER,  February  15,  1862.         f 

"  SIR, — I  have  the  honor  to  report  to  the  Department  that,  at  the 
urgent  request  of  General  Halleck  and  General  Grant,  who  regarded  the 
movement  as  a  military  necessity,  although  not,  in  my  opinion,  properly 
prepared,  I  made  an  attack  on  Fort  Donelson  yesterday,  the  14th  instant, 
at  three  o'clock  P.M.,  with  four  iron-clad  and  two  wooden  gun-boats — 
the  St.  Louis,  Carondelet,  Louisville,  and  Pittsburg,  and  the  Taylor  and  Con- 
estoga.  After  a  severe  fight  of  an  hour  and  a  half,  being  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  action  less  than  four  hundred  yards  from  the  fort,  the  wheel 
of  this  vessel,  by  a  shot  through  her  pilot-house,  was  carried  away ;  the 
tiller-ropes  of  the  Louisville  were  also  disabled  by  a  shot,  which  rendered 
the  two  boats  wholly  unmanageable,  and  they  drifted  down  the  river, 
the  relieving  tackles  not  being  able  to  steer  or  control  them  in  the  rapid 
current.  The  two  remaining  boats,  the  Pittsburg  and  Caronddet.  were 
also  greatly  damaged  between  wind  and  water,  and  soon  followed  us,  as 
the  enemy  rapidly  renewed  the  fire  as  we  drifted  helplessly  clown  the 
river.  This  vessel,  the  St.  Louis,  alone  received  fifty-nine  shots,  four  of 
them  between  wind  and  water;  one  in  the  pilot-house,  mortally  wound 
ing  the  pilot;  and  others,  requiring  some  time  to  put  her  in  repair. 
There  were  fifty-four  killed  and  wounded  in  the  attack,  which,  notwith 
standing  our  disadvantages,  we  have  every  reason  to  suppose  would,  in 
fifteen  minutes  more,  could  the  action  have  been  continued,  have  result 
ed  in  the  capture  of  the  two  forts  bearing  upon  us.  The  enemy's  fire 
had  materially  slackened,  and  he  was  running  from  his  batteries,  when 
the  two  gun-boats  helplessly  drifted  down  the  river  from  disabled  steer 
ing  apparatus,  as  the  relieving  tackles  could  not  control  the  helm  in 
the  strong  current;  and  the  fleeing  enemy,  returning  to  their  guns, 
again  boldly  opened  fire  upon  us  from  the  river  batteries,  which  we  had 
silenced. 

"  The  enemy  must  have  brought  over  twenty  guns  to  bear  upon  our 
boats  from  the  water-batteries  and  the  main  fort  on  the  side  of  the  hill, 
while  we  could  only  return  the  fire  with  twelve  bow  guns  from  the  four 
boats.  One  rifle-gun  aboard  the  Carondelet  burst  during  the  action. 

"The  officers  and  men  in  this  hotly  contested  but  unequal  fight  be 
haved  with  the  greatest  gallantry  and  determination,  all  deploring  the 
accident  which  rendered  two  gun-boats  suddenly  helpless  in  the  narrow 
river  and  swift  current. 

"  On  consultation  with  General  Grant  and  my  own  officers,  as  my  serv- 


Foote  Wounded.  227 


ices,  until  we  can  repair  damages  by  bringing  up  a  competent  force  from 
Cairo  to  attack  the  fort,  are  much  less  required  here  than  they  are  at 
Cairo,  I  shall  proceed  to  that  point  with  two  of  the  disabled  boats,  leav 
ing  the  two  others  here  to  protect  the  transports,  and  with  all  dispatch 
prepare  the  mortar-boats  and  the  Benton,  with  other  boats,  to  make  an 
effectual  attack  upon  Fort  Donelson. 

"  I  have  sent  the  Taylor  to  the  Tennessee  River  to  render  impassable 
the  bridge,  so  as  to  prevent  the  rebels  at  Columbus  reinforcing  their 
army  at  Fort  Donelson.  I  am  informed  that  the  rebel  batteries  were 
served  with  the  best  gunners  from  Columbus.  I  transmit  herewith  a  list 
of  casualties.  Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  A.  H.  FOOTE, 

"  Flag-Officer,  commanding  U.  S.  N.  Forces, Western  Waters. 
"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles,  Secretary  of  the  Navy, Washington,  D.  C." 

A  second  dispatch  announces  the  capture  of  the  fort  by 

General  Grant: 

"  CAIKO,  February  17, 1862. 
"  To  THE  HON.  GIDEON  WELLES  : 

"  The  Carondelet  has  just  arrived  from  Donelson,  and  brings  informa 
tion  of  the  capture  of  the  fort  by  the  land  forces  yesterday  morning,  with 
fifteen  thousand  prisoners,  including  Buckner  and  Johnson.  Loss  heavy 
on  both  sides.  Floyd  escaped  with  five  thousand  men  during  the  night. 
I  go  up  as  soon  as  possible  with  the  gun-boats.  Will  proceed  to  Clarks- 
ville.  Eight  mortar-boats  are  on  the  way,  with  which  I  hope  to  attack 
Clarksville.  My  wound  is  painful,  but  not  dangerous. 

"  The  army  behaved  gloriously.  I  shall  be  able  to  take  but  two  iron 
clad  gun-boats  with  me,  as  the  others  are  disabled.  The  trophies  are 
immense.  The  particulars  will  soon  be  given. 

"  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer." 

The  commodore's  wound  was  not  considered  severe  at  the 
time,  although  it  was  painful,  and  he  made  light  of  it,  not  suf 
fering  it  to  interfere  with  his  active  duties.  But  as  it  was  the 
immediate  cause  of  his  being  compelled  some  months  later  to 
throw  up  his  command  at  the  West,  and  as  it  is  probable,  com 
bined  with  the  great  burdens  laid  on  him,  that  it  was  a  remote 
cause  of  aggravating  his  last  fatal  disease,  therefore,  by  reason 
of  this  and  other  valuable  lives  that  were  forfeited,  a  mourn- 


228  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

ful  interest  is  attached  to  the  siege  of  Fort  Donelson,  the  then 
greatest  victory  of  the  war.  Commodore  Foote  was,  in  fact, 
twice  wounded,  both  times  apparently  slightly  —  though  it 
proved  not  to  be  so  in  the  end — in  this  battle.  He  had  step 
ped  into  the  pilot-house  to  see  that  the  boat  was  kept  in  posi 
tion.  A  solid  shot,  hurled  at  a  distance  of  less  than  four  hun 
dred  yards,  struck  the  pilot-house  at  an  angle  of  forty -five 
degrees — which  gives  some  idea  of  the  fort's  elevation  and 
the  immense  disadvantage  at  which  the  gun-boats  fought — 
penetrated  the  wood,  thirteen  inches  in  thickness,  and  the  iron, 
an  inch  and  a  quarter  thick,  and  filled  the  pilot-house  with 
broken  fragments  of  iron  and  missiles  of  destruction.  The 
pilot  was  instantly  killed,  and  the  commodore  was  struck  by 
a  fragment  on  the  foot.  At  that  moment  a  second  shot,  fired 
by  the  wooden  gun-boat  Taylor,  that  lay  behind,  came  across 
the  tiller-ropes,  disabling  the  "  relieving  tackle "  at  the  helm ; 
and  it  was  this  shot  that  rendered  the  boat  unmanageable.  One 
account  says  that  the  commodore  was  taken  up  senseless,  his 
leg  bruised  almost  to  a  jelly  from  his  ankle  to  his  hip ;  but  as 
the  versions  of  this  whole  affair  vary  considerably  in  their  de 
tails,  we  give  his  own  brief  letter  to  his  wife  in  which  he 
speaks  of  the  circumstance : 

"  CAIRO,  TELEGRAPH  OFFICE,  February  16, 1862. 

"  MY  DEAR  WIFE,— I  telegraphed  you  from  Paducah  last  night  that 
Fort  Donelson  was  not  taken,  but  that  I  was  slightly  wounded,  once  at 
a  gun  and  once  in  the  pilot-house.  It  was  by  a  piece  of  spent  shot  once, 
and  a  splinter  once,  but  only  slightly,  on  my  left  arm  and  left  foot,  which 
puts  me  on  crutches  for  a  few  days ;  but  I  will  be  running  about  in 
less  time  than  a  week.  I  will  not  go  so  near  again,  although  at  Fort 
Henry  I  produced  an  effect  by  it.  We  ought  to  have  been  victorious  at 
Donelson,  as  we  fought  harder  than  at  Henry.  I  went  into  it  against  my 
judgment  by  order  of  Halleck.  We  had  fifty-four  killed  and  wounded, 
and  fifty-nine  shots  in  one  vessel — a  thing  never  before  heard  of  in  a 
naval  fight.  I  have  sent  up  four  mortars,  and  hope  to  go  again  myself 
to-night ;  but  we  will  lay  off  at  a  long  distance.  I  shall  not  go  near  until 


Telegram  from  G.  B.  McClellan.  229 

the  Benton  is  ready,  and  they  can't  hurt  her ;  so  don't  feel  uneasy  about 
ine.  I  consider  my  personal  danger  almost  over.  Upon  my  word,  you 
are  cool  in  response  to  Fort  Henry ;  but,  never  mind, '  you  are  a  humbug.' 

tt  I  don't  feel  depressed  much  about  Fort  Donelson,  only  in  its  effect 
upon  our  cause ;  for  I  fought  desperately,  but  against  my  judgment,  and 
I  am  above  all  blame.  I  have  an  avalanche  of  complimentary  letters  from 
all  quarters,  from  strangers  as  well  as  friends ;  but  I  suppose  that  the 
Donelson  affair  will  check  them — but  we  deserve  even  more  credit  for 
that  than  for  Fort  Henry.  But  God's  will  be  done  in  all  cases. 

"  I  am  now  at  the  telegraph  office  by  request  of  General  McClellan,  to 
talk  with  him  by  cipher.  I  send  you  his  first  telegram,  which  you  may 
read  if  you  can.  I  had  a  severe  headache  in  the  last  action,  but  fought  it 
coolly  and  determinedly,  without  a  moment's  flinching ;  and  officers  and 
men  have  unbounded  confidence  in  me,  and  I  tell  them,  'Not  unto  us,'  etc. 

"  I  will,  if  I  can,  add  a  few  words,  and  do  you  remain  quiet  and  easy 
till  you  hear  further  from  me.  To  Emily  kisses,  and  love  to  '  folks '  and 
friends  who  inquire  after  me. 

"  Just  as  I  wrote  *  me '  I  received  the  inclosed  telegram  from  McClel 
lan.  We  are  now  talking.  I  may  go  back  to-night  or  to-morrow  morn 
ing  if  I  can  be  spared.  I  have  been  too  much  absorbed  in  war  matters 
for  Sunday— still  hope  in  God  in  all  things. 

"  Ever  affectionately  yours,          A.  H.  F." 

One  of  the  telegrams  referred  to  in  the  above  is  the  fol 
lowing  : 

"  WASHINGTON,  February  16, 1862. 
"  To  FLAG-OFFICER  A.  H.  FOOTE  : 

"  Sorry  you  are  wounded.  How  seriously  ?  Your  conduct  was  mag 
nificent.  With  what  force  do  you  return  ?  I  send  six  hundred  sailors 
for  you  to-morrow.  Give  me  details. 

"  G.  B.  MCCLELLAN,  Com.-in-Chief  U.  S.  A." 

These  two  additional  letters  of  Commodore  Foote  to  his 
wife  at  this  time,  written  as  they  were  with  unconstrained 
freedom,  let  us  into  his  inmost  feelings : 

"  FLAG-STEAMER  '  CONESTOGA,'  NEAR  PADUCAH,  | 
February  17, 1862.  j 

"  MY  DEAR  WIFE, — The  steamer  trembles  as  we  are  pressing  her  hard 
up  to  fourteen  knots  for  Fort  Donelson.  I  take  Plielps,  a  glorious  offi- 

Q 


230  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

cer,  as  flag-captain  of  the  Benton,  and  will  then  have  an  easy  time  myself. 
He  is  bold  and  cautious.* 

"  You  need  have  no  fears  about  us  now,  as  we  will  keep  off  a  good  dis 
tance  from  the  fort  at  Clarksville,  and  let  the  mortar-boats  do  most  of 
the  work.  I  hope  to  find  two  of  your  letters,  which  are  adrift  somewhere, 
as  they  were  sent  to  me  at  Fort  Donelson.  I  have  but  little  idea  that 
the  rebels  will  make  a  stand  at  Columbus ;  they  will  abandon  it  now 
that  the  Tennessee  and  Cumberland  are  about  being  cleanly  swept  out. 

"  I  hope  in  a  week  or  two  to  throw  away  my  crutches  and  be  well 
again.  My  two  little  wounds  at  the  gun  and  the  pilot-house  would  give 
me  no  trouble  if  one  of  them  had  not  been  on  the  foot.  I  can  not  write, 
we  are  so  much  shaken  up. 

"  I  have  hosts  of  papers  sent  me,  as  well  as  letters ;  but  I  will  be  a  nine- 
days'  lion  only,  as  this  war  brings  out  men  too  fast  for  any  one  to  attract 
attention  long. 

"  I  shall  have  a  good  sleep  to-night  with  a  wet  cloth  on  my  left  foot, 
and  I  hope  to  be  rid  of  its  bother  soon. 

"  May  God  watch  over  and  preserve  you  all  is  the  prayer  of 

"  Ever  your  affectionate  husband,  A.  H.  FOOTE." 

"U.  S.  FLAG-STEAMER  *  CONESTOGA,'  FORT  DONELSON,  } 
CUMBERLAND  RIVER,  Feb.  18, 1862.  f 

"  MY  DEAR  WIFE,— Yours  of  the  7th  reached  me  to-day.  I  telegraphed 
at  the  close  of  the  fight  at  Fort  Donelson,  where  we  so  demoralized  the 
rebels  that  the  fort  fell  a  prey  to  the  army  the  next  day,  as  they  are 
afraid  to  see  the  black  boats  coming  into  their  teeth  and  belching  forth 
shot  and  shells.  A  rebel  colonel  told  one  of  our  officers  to-day  that  the 
army  never  could  have  taken  the  fort  had  it  not  been  for  the  gun-boats. 
We  came  within  an  ace  of  getting  it,  as  two  hundred  yards  farther  would 
have  placed  us  so  that  their  guns  could  not  bear  upon  us,  and  then  we 
would  have  mowed  them  down ;  but  I  am  satisfied  and  rather  glad  that 
the  army  did  take  the  fort,  as  they  have  fought  like  tigers  and  lost  al 
most  two  thousand  men.  It  was  a  horrid  fight ;  and  Aunty  would  think 
so  if  she  saw  the  mutilated  dead.  It  is  an  exceedingly  strong  fort,  and 
the  rebels  had  no  idea  it  could  be  taken.  One  of  the  gun-boats  has 
burned  John  Bell's  iron  rolling-mill,  with  property  worth  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars,  and  took  his  partner  prisoner.  I  go  up  with  this  vessel 
and  an  iron-clad  to-morrow  on  a  reconnoissance  as  far  as  Clarksville. 

*  A  man  evidently  after  his  own  heart. 


His  Opinion  concerning  Fort  Donelson.       231 

Had  I  had  time  to  do  this  before  I  made  the  attack  on  Fort  Donelson,  I 
should  have  taken  it.  On  Friday  we  hope  to  try  our  hand  on  Clarks- 
ville  with  four  boats  and  eight  mortars.  They  can  not  stand  it  long.  I 
consider  that  our  danger  is  past,  and  you  need  not  in  the  future  be  at  all 
uneasy.  Generals  Grant  and  Smith  have  been  to  see  me  to-day.  We  are 
all  friendly  as  brothers ;  and  I  have  strong  faith  and  hope,  under  God, 
that  we  now  shall  have  victory  upon  victory. 

"I  will  not  describe  the  scene  here — the  taking  off  of  twelve  thousand 
prisoners — the  dead  and  wounded  on  the  shore — the  bands  playing  all 
the  while — the  good  spirits  and  life  of  our  people — the  number  of  steam 
boats — the  battered  forts  and  riddled  houses  in  Dover,  etc.,  etc.  I  have 
for  you  a  pair  of  double  heavy  rebel  blankets.  I  have  also  for  the  boys 
a  double-barreled  gun.  I  am  tired ;  still  on  crutches,  but  am  getting  bet 
ter.  Kisses  and  love  to  the  children.  Affectionately,  A.  H.  F." 

There  can  be  no  doubt,  judging  from  these  letters  and  other 
evidences,  that  Foote  truly  thought  he  had  with  his  gun-boats 
nearly  accomplished  the  subdual  of  the  fort,  even  as  he  had 
done  in  the  case  of  Fort  Henry.  He  said  more  than  once  that 
within  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  he  would  have  done  it.  He  prob 
ably  may  have  erred  in  this,  since  the  two  cases  were  not  en 
tirely  parallel,  owing  to  the  greatly  superior  strength  of  Fort 
Donelson,  and  the  much  larger  army  force  within  its  walls. 
But  we  have  his  own  opinion  in  the  case  distinctly  averred, 
and  he  was  certainly  no  incompetent  judge.  He  went  into 
the  fight,  as  he  says,  "  against  his  own  judgment."  He  did  not 
consider  his  boats  ready  for  the  conflict,  and  the  event  showed 
he  was  right ;  and,  moreover,  he  had  not  time  to  get  up  his 
mortar-fleet,  which  he  had  confidently  depended  upon  in  this 
second  more  important  and  difficult  service.  On  the  llth  of 
February  he  wrote  to  Secretary  Welles : 

"  I  leave  again  to-night  with  the  Louisville,  Pittsburg,  and  St.  Louis,  to 
co-operate  with  the  army  in  the  attack  on  Fort  Donelson.  I  go  reluct 
antly,  as  we  are  very  short  of  men ;  and  transferring  men  from  vessel  to 
vessel,  as  we  have  to  do,  is  having  a  very  demoralizing  effect  upon  them. 
Twenty-eight  men  ran  off  to-day,  hearing  that  they  were  to  be  sent  out 
of  their  vessels.  I  do  hope  that  the  six  hundred  men  will  be  sent  imme- 


232  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

diately.  I  shall  do  all  in  my  power  to  render  the  gun-boats  effective  in 
the  fight,  although  they  are  not  properly  manned;  but  I  must  go,  as  Gen 
eral  Halleck  wishes  it.  If  we  could  wait  ten  days,  and  I  had  the  men,  I 
would  go  with  eight  mortar-boats  and  six  armored  boats." 

If,  instead  of  this  thoroughly  equipped  fleet,  with  mortar- 
boats  to  support  at  a  distance  and  to  shell  the  upper  works, 
and  gun-boats  for  the  lower  batteries,  we  remember  that  he 
had  but  four  armored  boats,  and  these  not  well-fitted  and 
manned,  we  can  not  cease  to  wonder  at  the  audacity  of  the  at 
tack.  It  was  truly  a  sacrifice  to  a  dire  war  necessity  ;  and  the 
valor  and  skill  with  which  the  fight  was  made  were  the  only 
reasons  why  they  were  not  wholly  destroyed. 

The  orders  of  General  Halleck,  which  precipitated  the  gun 
boat  attack,  were  the  two  following  telegrams  : 

"  February  11,  1862. 

"FLAG-OFFICER  FOOTE,  —  You  have  gained  great  distinction  by  the 
capture  of  Fort  Henry.  Every  body  recognizes  your  services.  Make 
your  name  famous  in  history  by  the  immediate  capture  of  Fort  Donelson 
and  Clarksville.  The  taking  of  these  places  is  a  military  necessity.  Delay 
adds  strength  to  them  more  than  to  us.  Act  quickly,  even  though  only 
half  ready.  Troops  will  soon  be  ready  to  support  you. 

"  (Signed)         H.  W.  HALLECK,  Major-General." 


"FLAG-OFFICER  FOOTE,  —  Push  forward  the  Cumberland  expedition 
with  all  possible  dispatch.  In  addition  to  the  land  forces  at  Paducah 
and  on  their  way  from  Michigan,  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Illinois,  I  shall  send 
one  regiment  from  here  on  Thursday,  one  on  Friday,  and  one  on  Satur 
day.  Push  ahead  boldly  and  quickly.  I  will  give  you  plenty  of  support 
in  a  few  days'  time.  Now  every  thing  for  use.  Don't  delay  an  instant. 
"  (Signed)  H.  W.  HALLECK,  Major-General." 

But  other  services  remained  to  be  done.  With  a  spirit  of 
cheerful  alacrity,  in  spite  of  disappointments  and  sufferings, 
Foote  girded  himself  anew  to  the  work,  and  we  hear  of  him 
shortly  after  farther  up  the  Cumberland,  busily  issuing  proc 
lamations,  and  zealous  to  push  on  to  Nashville  and  the  heart 
of  the  Southern  Confederacy. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

:LLE. — FOOTE'S  PROCI 

MITTED   TO    TAKE  NASHVILLE. ARMED  RECONNOISSANCE 

DOWN   THE   MISSISSIPPI. — FLAG   OF   TRUCE. — 
EVACUATION   OF   COLUMBUS. 

THE  ablest  of  the  rebel  generals  who  commanded  at  the 
Southwest,  Albert  Sidney  Johnston,  declared  that  he  "  fought 
for  Nashville  at  Fort  Donelson."  Commodore  Foote  was  also 
among  the  first  to  perceive  the  truth  of  this;  and  he  urged 
Halleck  and  Grant,  at  the  moment  when  the  panic  occasioned 
by  the  fall  of  the  forts  was  at  its  height,  to  send  a  detachment 
of  troops  to  Nashville,  or  to  let  him  go  at  once  with  his  gun 
boats.  For  some  reason  this  request  was  not  complied  with 
by  Halleck,  and  Foote  was  not  suffered  to  proceed  farther 
than  Clarksville,  a  fortified  post  some  sixty  miles  north  of 
Nashville.  The  river  was  open  above  this  point,  and  his  fleet, 
carrying  with  it  so  formidable  a  prestige,  might  easily  have 
taken  possession  of  the  important  city  of  Nashville,  with  its 
immense  amount  of  military  stores,  which  was  not  actually 
taken  possession  of  until  the  25th  or  27th  of  February,  when 
it  was  entered  without  opposition  by  an  army  force  under 
General  Buell,  accompanied  by  two  gun-boats. 

After  burning  the  "  Tennessee  Iron  Works,"  six  miles  from 
Dover,  on  the  19th  of  February  the  commodore,  with  two 
gun-boats,  ascended  the  Cumberland  to  Clarksville,  to  attack 
the  rebel  fort  at  that  place,  situated  at  the  mouth  of  a  small 
stream  called  Eed  Kiver;  but  the  report  of  the  commander 
will  best  tell  the  storv : 


234  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

"  U.  8.  FLAG-STEAMER,  '  CONESTOGA,'  CLARKSVILLE,  ) 
TENNESSEE,  February  20, 1862.  f 

"  We  have  possession  of  Clarksville.  The  citizens  being  alarmed,  two 
thirds  of  them  have  fled ;  and  having  expressed  my  views  and  intentions 
to  the  mayor  and  the  Hon.  Cave  Johnson,  at  their  request  I  have  issued  a 
proclamation,  assuring  all  peaceably  disposed  persons  that  they  may  with 
safety  resume  their  business  avocations,  requiring  only  the  military  stores 
and  equipments  to  be  given  up,  and  holding  the  authorities  responsible 
that  this  shall  be  done  without  reservation. 

"  I  left  Fort  Donelson  yesterday,  with  the  Conestoga,  Lieutenant-Com 
manding  Phelps,  and  the  Cairo,  Lieutenant-Commanding  Bryant,  on  an 
armed  reconnoissance,  bringing  with  me  Colonel  "Webster,  of  the  engineer 
corps,  and  chief  of  General  Grant's  staff,  who,  with  Lieutenant-Command 
ing  Phelps,  took  possession  of  the  principal  fort,  and  hoisted  the  Union 
flag.  A  Union  sentiment  manifested  itself  as  we  came  up  the  river.  The 
rebels  have  retreated  to  Nashville,  having  set  fire,  against  the  remon 
strances  of  the  citizens,  to  the  splendid  railroad  bridge  across  the  Cum 
berland  River. 

"  I  return  to  Fort  Donelson  to-day  for  another  gun-boat  and  six  or 
eight  mortar-boats,  with  which  I  propose  to  proceed  up  the  Cumberland. 
The  rebels  all  have  a  terror  of  the  gun-boats.  One  of  them,  a  short  dis 
tance  above  Fort  Donelson,  had  previously  fired  an  iron  rolling-mill  be 
longing  to  the  Hon.  John  Bell,  which  had  been  used  by  the  rebels. 

"A.  H.  FOOTE, 
"  Flag-Officer,  commanding  Naval  Forces,  Western  Waters. 

"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles,  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

The  proclamation  to  the  citizens  of  Clarksville  was  as  fol 
lows: 

"  To  the  Inhabitants  of  Clarksville,  Tennessee. 

"At  the  suggestion  of  the  Hon.  Cave  Johnson,  Judge  Wisdom,  and  the 
mayor  of  the  city,  who  called  upon  me  yesterday,  after  our  hoisting  of 
the  Union  flag  and  taking  possession  of  the  forts,  to  ascertain  my  views 
and  intentions  toward  the  citizens  and  private  property,  I  hereby  an 
nounce  to  all  peaceably  disposed  persons  that  neither  in  their  persons 
nor  in  their  property  shall  they  suffer  molestation  by  me  or  the  naval 
force  under  my  command,  and  that  they  may  in  safety  resume  their  busi 
ness  avocations,  with  the  assurance  of  my  protection. 

"  At  the  same  time,  I  require  that  all  military  stores  and  army  equip- 


The  Proclamation  at  Clarksville.  235 

inents  shall  be  surrendered,  no  part  of  them  being  withheld  or  destroyed; 
and  further,  that  no  Secession  flag,  or  manifestation  of  Secession  feeling, 
shall  be  exhibited ;  and  for  the  faithful  observance  of  these  conditions  I 
shall  hold  the  authorities  of  the  city  responsible. 

"  ANDREW  H.  FOOTE, 

"  Flag-Officer,  commanding  Naval  Forces,  Western  Waters. 
"  U.  S.  FLAG-SHIP  '  CONESTOGA,'  February  20, 1862." 

This  document  is,  we  think,  a  model  of  its  kind,  exhibiting 
kindness  and  firmness,  brief,  modest,  positive,  and  reminding 
us  of  the  sharp-cut  though  courteous  letters  written  by  our 
hero  in  his  diplomatic  correspondence  on  the  African  coast. 
He  refers  with  considerable  self-satisfaction  to  his  Clarksville 
visit  in  a  letter  of  the  same  date  to  his  wife : 

"  I  have  just  returned  from  Clarksville — a  beautiful  city — where  I  is 
sued  the  inclosed  proclamation.  Old  Cave  Johnson,  who  knew  my  fa 
ther  so  well,  came  to  me.  The  Clarksville  affair  will  do  me  credit.  Give 
one  of  the  proclamations  to  Dr.  Bacon.  I  am  off  to  Cairo  to-night  to 
procure  more  gun-boats  for  Nashville.  They  are  held  in  terror,  and  we 
will  easily  take  it." 

He  assuredly  had  reason  to  feel  chagrined  at  not  being  per 
mitted  to  carry  into  execution  his  feasible  plan  in  regard  to 
East  Tennessee  and  Nashville.  He  was,  in  fact,  deeply  in 
jured  in  his  feelings  at  what  seemed  to  be  a  robbery  of  that 
opportunity  for  fair  fame  that  justly  belonged  to  him ;  and, 
more  than  all,  for  the  injury  done  to  the  cause.  General  Hal- 
leek's  peremptory  telegram  was  as  follows : 

"  To  GENERAL  GRANT  : 

"  Don't  let  the  gun-boats  go  higher  than  Clarksville ;  even  then  they 
must  limit  their  operations  to  the  destruction  of  the  bridge,  and  return 
immediately  to  Cairo,  leaving  one  at  Fort  Donelson.  Mortar-boats  to  be 
sent  back  to  Cairo  as  soon  as  possible. 

-"  H.  W.  HALLECK,  Major-General. 

"  Official.— S.  A.  Hurlbut,  Brigadier-General  U.  S.  A." 

The  exact  truth  of  the  matter  is,  when  Commodore  Foote 


236  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

returned  from  Clarksville  to  Fort  Donelson  (after  taking  pos 
session  of  the  former  place  on  the  20th  of  February),  an  ar 
rangement  was  made  between  him  and  General  Grant  for  a 
joint  movement  upon  Nashville,  and  all  the  troops  that  could 
be  transported  were  to  have  been  embarked  and  ready  to  leave 
at  4  A.M.  on  the  21st,  under  convoy  of  the  gun-boats.  This 
would  have  placed  them  in  Nashville  by  or  before  noon  of  the 
21st  of  February — four  days  before  the  Cairo  reached  Nash 
ville  with  Nelson's  command.  At  midnight  on  the  20th  the 
commodore  and  General  Grant  were  together — part  of  the 
troops  had  already  embarked — when  the  general  received  a 
telegram  from  Halleck  positively  ordering  him  not  to  push  his 
forces  beyond  Clarksville,  nor  to  permit  the  gun-boats  to  go 
higher  up  the  river  than  that  place.  On  receiving  the  tele 
gram,  the  general  handed  it  to  the  commodore  without  re 
mark  ;  the  latter  read  it,  and  said, "  I  suppose  this  ends  our 
movement."  General  Grant  himself  was  severely  annoyed 
that  the  full  fruit  of  his  victory  at  Donelson  should  not  have 
been  gathered.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  great  number  of  pris 
oners  to  be  sent  away  to  places  where  they  could  be  cared  for, 
and  for  his  limited  means  of  transportation,  he  would  have  gone 
on  to  Nashville  in  twenty-four  hours  after  the  capitulation  of 
Fort  Donelson ;  and  the  delay  to  follow  up  the  victory  was  of 
immense  value  to  the  rebels.  We  might  say  that  if  it  had  not 
been  for  this  unexpected  and  unfortunate  check,  Grant's  future 
operations  would  have  been  by  the  way  of  Nashville,  and  a 
wholly  different  and  undoubtedly  more  advantageous  turn 
would  have  been  given  to  the  war  in  the  Southwest. 

At  Nashville  itself  it  was  confidently  expected  that  Foote 
would  be  up  immediately  with  his  whole  flotilla,  and  there 
was  great  excitement  there,  and  a  rapid  clearing  out  of  obnox 
ious  Secession  leaders.  Floyd,  on  hearing  that  Foote's  gun 
boats  were  coming,  gave  orders  on  Monday  (it  was  supposed 
by  the  Confederates  that  the  Nationals  would  push  on  toward 


Foote  expected  at  Nashville.  237 

East  Tennessee,  and  it  was  for  the  purpose  of  opposing  such  a 
movement  that  Johnston  took  position  at  Murfreesboro)  for 
the  Confederate  stores  to  be  thrown  open  to  the  public;  two 
steam-packets,  which  were  being  changed  into  gun-boats,  to  be 
burned;  and  the  two  bridges  at  Nashville  to  be  destroyed. 
Against  the  last  act  the  citizens  most  vehemently  protested, 
and  it  was  postponed  until  Tuesday  night,  when  they  were 
both  burned  by  Floyd's  order;  and  he  and  Pillow  literally 
scampered  a.way  southward  by  the  light  of  the  conflagration. 
During  the  remainder  of  the  week  Nashville  was  the  theatre 
of  the  wildest  anarchy,  and  neither  public  nor  private  property 
was  safe  for  an  hour.  Happily  for  the  well-disposed  inhabit 
ants,  Colonel  Keaner,  of  the  Fourth  Ohio  Cavalry,  of  Mitchell's 
division,  entered  the  city  on  Sunday  evening,  the  23d,  and  en 
deavored  to  restore  order.  He  was  immediately  followed  by 
the  remainder  of  his  commander's  force,  who  encamped  at 
Edgefield,  opposite  Nashville,  and  there  awaited  the  arrival  of 
General  Buell.  That  officer  came  on  the  25th,  and  on  the 
same  morning  the  Cairo  arrived  from  Clarksville,  as,  a  convoy 
to  transports  bearing  a  considerable  body  of  troops  under 
General  Nelson.  These  had  not  been  opposed  in  their  passage 
up  the  river,  for  the  only  battery  on  its  banks  between  the  two 
cities  was  Fort  Zollicoffer,  on  a  bluff,  four  or  five  miles  below 
Nashville,  which  was  unfinished,  and  was  then  abandoned. 
Pursuant  to  previous  arrangement,  the  mayor  of  Nashville  (K. 
B.  Cheatham),  and  a  small  delegation  of  citizens,  crossed  over 
to  Buell's  quarters  at  Edgefield,  and  there  made  a  formal  sur 
render  of  the  city.  General  Buell  at  once  issued  an  order 
congratulating  the  troops  "  that  it  had  been  their  privilege  to 
restore  the  national  banner  to  the  capitol  of  Tennessee."  On 
the  following  day,  General  Grant  and  staff  arrived,  and  he  and 
General  Buell  held  a  consultation  about  future  movements.* 

*  Lossing's  "  Civil  War  in  America,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  233. 


238  Life  of  A dmiral  Foote. 

On  reading  the  above,  a  sensible  person  would  be  struck  by 
the  fact  that  there  was  a  totally  uncalled  for  delay  in  captur 
ing  the  city,  and  that  if  Foote,  as  he  desired,  had  gone  up  at 
once,  much  property  would  have  been  saved,  much  disorder 
prevented,  and  extensive  movements  of  National  troops  ren 
dered  unnecessary.  This  certainly  is  the  appearance  on  the 
face  of  things,  whatever  occult  reasons  there  might  have  ex 
isted  for  a  contrary  course.  These  reasons  have  never  trans 
pired. 

The  final  settling  up  of  the  Cumberland  and  Tennessee 
war  matters,  as  far  as  Foote  and  his  fleet  were  concerned, 
seems  to  be  contained  in  this  general  telegraphic  order  from 
Halleck: 

"  ST.  Louis,  February  25,  1862. 
"  To  COMMODOKE  FOOTE,  Cairo : 

*  "  The  possession  of  Nashville  by  General  Buell  renders  it  necessary  to 
countermand  the  instructions  sent  to  Foote  and  Sherman  yesterday 
morning,  dated  23d.  Grant  will  send  no  more  forces  to  Clarksville; 
General  Smith's  division  will  come  to  Fort  Henry,  or  to  a  point  higher 
up  on  the  Jennessee  River ;  transports  will  be  collected  at  Paducah  and 
above ;  all  the  mortar-boats  to  be  immediately  brought  back  to  Cairo ; 
two  gun-boats  to  be  left  at  Clarksville,  to  precede  Nelson's  division  up 
the  river  to  Nashville — having  done  this,  they  will  return  to  Cairo ;  two 
gun-boats  to  be  left  in  the  Tennessee  River  with  General  Grant ;  the  lat 
ter  will  immediately  have  small  garrisons  detailed  for  forts  Donelson 
and  Henry,  and  all  other  forces  made  ready  for  the  field. 

"  H.  W.  HALLECK,  Major-General." 

It  may  be  that  the  following  letter,  being  that  of  a  warm 
personal  friend,  and  for  that  reason,  perhaps,  somewhat  preju 
diced,  should  remain  unpublished ;  but,  after  due  considera 
tion,  we  have  concluded  to  make  it  public,  although  in  this 
biography  we  have  no  desire  to  rake  up  old  jealousies  and  dis 
putes,  which,  in  the  peculiar  relations  of  the  Army  and  Navy 
at  the  West,  where  both  were  striving  to  do  the  most  gallant 
deeds,  were  unavoidable,  and  which,  among  brave  men,  are 


Correspondence.  239 


now  either  laid  to  rest  in  their  silent  graves,  or  are  buried  in 
noble  and  patriotic  hearts : 

"NAVY  DEPARTMENT,  March  1,  1862. 
"  FLAG-OFFICER  A.  H.  FOOTE  : 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — As  we  are  just  receiving  your  letters  of  the  31st  of 
December,  1861, 1  fancy  you  never  get  any  of  my  notes.  I  observed  that 
you  were  taken  down  from  Clarksville  when  bound  to  Nashville,  and  I 
imagined  the  reason  at  once.  I  also  noticed  your  proposition  about 
first  going  ^to  Fort  Henry.  I  will  take  care  that  these  matters  shall  be 
placed  publicly  to  your  credit.  Carter  has  raised  you  one  hundred  men 
at  Erie,  and  fifty  seamen  go  from  New  York.  We  do  this  for  five  ships 
waiting  for  crews,  and  for  the  Narragansett,  not  yet  relieved,  though  their 
time  is  up.  Please  keep  us  posted  with  official  documents  and  copies 
of  telegrams,  as  in  the  Henry  and  Donelson  affairs,  so  that  I  can  have 
copies  in  the  hands  of  naval  friends.  Your  reputation  is  that  of  the 
Navy  and  the  cause,  and  well  you  have  sustained  it  under  difficulties 
that  placed  the  entire  credit  on  your  head.  I  wish  some  trophy  of  yotlr 
noble  fight  at  Fort  Henry.  With  the  warmest  wishes  for  your  health 
and  safety.  Success  you  will  win.  Yours  most  truly,  G.  V.  Fox." 

Commodore  Smith,  still  more  plain-spoken,  writes : 

"March  1,  1862. 

"  MY  DEAR  FOOTE, — I  have  yours  of  the  24th  ult.,  with  its  inclosures. 
Mrs.  "  Jesse "  Benton  will  be  elated,  I  think,  at  your  notice  of  her  by 
naming  the  Bentorts  tender  for  her. 

"I  had  hoped  the  excitement  would  keep  away  the  headache  from 
you.;  but  active  brains  like  yours  must  have  a  safety-valve.  You  are  cut 
out  of  a  dash  upon  Nashville ;  but  enough  is  left  for  you  to  do  yet.  I 
infer  you  were  on  better  terms  with  Fremont  than  with  Halleck;  but 
you  quarrel  with  nobody  unless  the  party  play  foul,  and  then  the 
'  black-stain '  perseverance  will  be  brought  to  bear  on  your  opponents. 
Gregory  says  you  'pray  like  a  saint  and  fight  like  a  devil.'  It  seems  to 
me  the  Army,  or  some  portions  of  it,  are  jealous  of  you.  Why  should 
they  send  such  riff-raff  to  you,  that  are  only  in  your  way.  I  would 
not  take  them,  or,  if  I  did,  I  would  place  them  where  David  put  Uriah. 
I  have  no  doubt  the  gun-boats  hurt  Fort  Donelson  and  created  a  panic ; 
pity  you  could  not  have  had  your  mortar  and  other  boats  there.  What 
we  have  apprehended  as  a  defect  in  iron-clad  boats  has  been  demon- 


240  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

strated  by  you — that  is,  the  exposure  of  the  rudder  and  steering  gear. 
What  guns  have  you  condemned  ?  The  rifled  cannon  are  becoming  of 
doubtful  endurance.  The  80-pound  rifles  have  been  ignored,  and  100- 
pounders  substituted  where  they  can  be  used.  Breese  is  by  me,  and  de 
sires  regards.  Mrs.  Foote  is  sharing  your  glory  by  receiving  the  applause 
of  your  townsmen  and  a  flag.*  Congress  is  tearing  the  Navy  to  pieces 
by  a  multiplicity  of  bills.  Three  more  bureaus  are  proposed,  and  the  pay 
of  all  to  be  cut  down  alike.  I  have  worked  to  the  full  stretch  of  my 
brains,  and  I  get  no  credit  for  it.  I  like  the  idea  of  promotion  for  gal 
lant  acts,  but  I  do  not  think  the  former  war-services  of  officers  should  be 
overlooked. 

"  Our  Army  of  the  Potomac  is  stirring,  but  I  know  not  the  pro 
gramme.  I  think  we  are  doing  up  Secesh,  and  I  hope  the  rebels  will  be 
tired  of  such  an  unprofitable  and  wicked  war  without  justification. 

"  Yours  very  truly,  JOSEPH  SMITH." 

On  the  21st  of  February,  1862,  the  Kentucky  House  of 
Representatives  passed  the  following  resolutions: 

"  The  nation  has  been  compelled,  by  every  patriotic  motive,  to  call 
upon  her  true  sons  to  arrest  rebellion  and  preserve  the  government. 
Military  men  must  put  down  rebellious  politicians,  who  have  created 
the  existing  evils  which  threaten  our  destruction.  Reason  and  entreaty 
having  failed,  the  sword  is  now  to  settle  our  destiny.  While  we  feel 
sentiments  of  the  highest  admiration  for  all  the  brave  officers  and  sol 
diers  engaged  in  the  cause  of  the  Union,  wherever  their  field  of  opera 
tions  may  be,  we  entertain  a  peculiar  gratitude  to  those  who  are  driving 
our  invaders  from  the  soil  of  Kentucky ;  therefore, 

fiesolved,  by  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Kentucky, 
that  General  Albin  Schceff,  General  William  Nelson,  General  George  H. 
Thomas,  Colonel  J.  A.  Garfield,  General  U.  S.  Grant,  and  Commodore 

*  This  has  reference  to  a  pleasant  and  enthusiastic  gathering  of  the 
students  of  Yale  College  (February  22d)  in  front  of  Mrs.  Foote's  resi 
dence,  and  the  presentation  to  her  of  a  National  flag,  which  was  raised 
soon  after  on  the  commodore's  house.  The  Hon.  Pelatiah  Perrit  respond 
ed  to  the  address  of  the  students.  At  the  same  time  a  letter  was  ad 
dressed  to  the  commodore,  signed  by  many  eminent  citizens  of  New  Ha 
ven,  such  as  the  venerable  Jeremiah  Day,  Professor  Benjamin  Silliman, 
President  Theodore  D.  Woolsey,  and  others,  warmly  congratulating  him, 
as  townsmen,  on  his  successes,  and  urging  him  on  to  greater  victories. 


Reconnaissance  of  Columbus.  241 

A.  H.  Foote,  together  with  the  brave  officers  and  men  in  their  respective 
commands,  deserve  the  thanks  of  Kentucky,  and  the  same  are  hereby 
most  cordially  tendered  to  every  man  of  them  for  their  brilliant  victories 
achieved  at  "Wild  Cat,  Ivy  Mountain,  Logan's  Fields,  Mill  Spring,  Pres- 
tonburg,  Fort  Henry,  and  Fort  Donelson.  While  we  thus  offer  our  heart 
felt  tribute  to  the  officers  and  soldiers  who  have  exposed  their  lives  on 
the  field  of  battle,  we  can  not  withhold  the  expression  of  our  most  grate 
ful  thanks  to  Generals  Halleck  and  Buell,  the  commanders-in-chief  of 
their  respective  departments,  for  their  admirable  arrangements,  which 
have  resulted  in  these  glorious  and  effective  victories. 

"  Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  forwarded  by  the  clerk 
to  each  of  the  officers  herein  named,  with  a  request  that  they  have  the 
same  read  to  their  respective  commands. 

"  Which  were  adopted.          Attest :          W.  L.  SAMUELS, 

"  Clerk  of  House  of  Representatives." 

The  Western  fleet  was  now,  as  a  body,  quickly  recalled  from 
its  operations  on  the  Cumberland  and  Tennessee  rivers,  and 
was  assembled  at  Cairo  for  further  services  in  another  quar 
ter.  Foote's  dispatch  of  February  21st  to  his  navy  command 
ers  urged  them  to  activity,  and  closed  with  these  words : 

"  The  gun-boats  and  mortar-boats  must  leave  immediately  for  Cairo, 
to  be  prepared  instantly  for  service.  Hasten !  hasten !  '  bear  a  hand '  to 
follow  me." 

The  National  successes  in  Tennessee  had  served  to  isolate 
the  enemy's  stronghold  at  Columbus,  called  "  the  Gibraltar  of 
the  West,"  and  in  one  sense  rightly  called,  for  before  it  was 
rendered  strategically  untenable,  it  was  judged  impregnable 
to  direct  assault.  It  was  situated  upon  high  bluffs,  with  ev 
ery  advantage  that  skillful  engineering  and  heavy  munitions 
could  add,  and  had  an  army  of  twenty  thousand  troops  in  its 
walls.  Of  course  it  was  not  known  but  that  this  formidable 
fortification  would  stand  siege.  Early  on  the  morning  of  the 
23d  of  February,  Commodore  Foote,  with  four  iron-clads,  two 
mortar-boats,  and  five  transports  partially  filled  with  troops, 
left  Cairo  and  steamed  down  the  Mississippi  on  an  armed 


242 


Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 


FT.  COLUMBUS, 
1861  &1862. 


reconnoissance  of  Columbus.  As  they  drew  in  sight  of  the 
batteries,  a  steamer  bearing  a  flag  of  truce  from  General  Polk 
came  out  to  meet  them.  The  account  is  given  in  the  follow 
ing  report  of  the  commodore : 

"  U.  S.  FLAG-STEAMER  '  CINCINNATI,'  MISSISSIPPI  RIVER,  ) 
NEAR  COLUMBUS,  KY.,  February  23,  1862.  ) 

"  SIR, — I  have  the  honor  to  report  that,  in  company  with  General  Cul- 
lum,  chief  of  General  Halleck's  staff,  with  four  iron-clad  boats,  two  mor 
tar-boats,  and  three  transports,  containing  one  thousand  men,  I  made 
this  day  a  reconnoissance  in  force  toward  Columbus  to  ascertain  its  con 
dition  ;  and  when  near  the  batteries  a  flag  of  truce  came  out  to  commu 
nicate  with  us,  the  result  of  which  will  be  seen  in  the  inclosed  papers. 
The  object  of  the  reconnoissance  being  attained,  and  finding  that  fire 
from  the  mortars  would  lead  the  enemy  to  plant  guns  where  they  could 


Newspaper  Correspondence.  243 

reach  ,them  with  their  batteries  should  we  again  open  upon  them  with 
a  larger  number  of  mortars,  I  concluded  to  return  to  Cairo ;  and  there 
we  must  remain  until  the  gun  and  mortar  boats  are  completed,  as  other 
wise  the  flotilla  will  be  demoralized  for  want  of  time  and  means  to  prop 
erly  prepare  for  active  service.  The  army  will  not  move  without  gun 
boats,  yet  the  gun-boats  are  not  in  a  condition  to  act  offensively  at  pres 
ent.  On  this  subject  I  will  soon  write  more  fully.  A  telegram  will  be 
sent  to  the  Department  on  my  arrival  at  Cairo,  referring  to  the  events  of 
to-day.  I  am  your  obedient  servant,  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 
u  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles,  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

"  P.  S. — Columbus  evinces  no  signs  of  an  evacuation  or  dismounting 
of  guns.  The  batteries  seem  to  be  intact,  and  we  saw  great  numbers  of 
tents  and  troops." 

Before  noticing  a  correspondence  with  General  Polk  on  the 
subject  of  a  "  flag  of  truce,"  which  forms  a  curious  episode  of 
itself,  we  introduce  a  part  of  the  letter  of  a  newspaper  corre 
spondent,  dated  February  24th,  which  gives  a  lively,  chatty 
description  of  this  sail  down  the  Mississippi  and  its  sudden 
termination : 

"  A  little  after  daylight  the  gallant  Commodore  Foote  hobbled  pain 
fully  aboard  the  Cincinnati,  and  almost  immediately  after  the  whole  fleet 
was  steaming  down  the  river.  From  the  moment  of  starting,  the  regular 
line  of  battle  was  observed,  the  four  iron-clad  boats  leading,  abreast,  the 
Cincinnati  a  mile  to  the  rear,  and  close  behind  this  the  transports  and 
mortars.  The  five  transports  seemed  more  for  show  than  use.  However, 
it  was  the  Sabbath,  and  beneath  the  warm  beams  of  the  first  sun  we  had 
seen  for  weeks,  we  pushed  merrily  ahead,  absorbed  in  our  devotions  and 
the  weather,  and  not  caring  to  be  captious,  or  to  ask  too  many  questions. 

"  A  little  before  noon  we  steamed  into  Lucas's  Bend,  and  saw,  two 
miles  below,  across  a  promontory  that  ran  out  from  the  right  bank,  the 
tent-crowned  bluffs  of  Columbus.  A  shot  from  a  heavy  gun  came  boom 
ing  over  the  water,  conveying  to  us  an  invitation  seemingly  to  fight.  An 
other  followed,  and  then  another— the  latter  a  cogent  invitation  of  some 
one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  pounds  in  weight,  that  plunged  into  the 
river  a  short  distance  to  the  left  of  us,  and  sent  the  water  splashing  sky 
ward  like  a  water-spout.  A  heavy  gong  sounding  in  the  boats  sent  the 
men  to  quarters;  guns  were  run  in,  every  thing  and  every  body  was  in 


244  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

place,  the  mortar-boats  were  hugging  the  shore  to  gain  uninterruptedly  a 
position  a  little  lower;  and  from  all  appearance  I  expected  in  another 
instant  to  witness  a  repetition  of  the  Fort  Henry  and  Donelson  tragedies. 
However,  just  as  the  guns  seemed  on  the  eve  of  belching  their  sulphu 
reous  thunders  against  Columbus,  a  rebel  transport  steamer  rounded  the 
point  of  the  promontory  with  a  flag  flying  from  her  jackstaif.  She 
rounded  the  point  close  under  the  guns  of  the  iron  boats,  and  com 
menced  whistling,  as  if  asking  permission  to  hold  a  conference.  A  whis 
tle  from  the  flag-boat  gave  the  permission ;  a  tug  ran  down  to  her,  lay- 
alongside  a  short  time,  ran  back,  and  then  the  Cincinnati  ran  down,  took 
position  between  her  and  the  Columbus  batteries,  and  dropped  her  anchor. 

"  A  deputation  was  soon  after  seen  to  leave  the  rebel  transport — the 
Red  River — and  go  aboard  the  National  gun-boat.  For  three  long  hours 
the  boats  lay  there,  and  many  and  wild  were  the  conjectures  as  to  what 
was  going  on.  All  agreed  unanimously  that  a  surrender  was  going  on 
— none  doubted  that  he  would  take  dinner  or  supper  in  Columbus.  Fi 
nally,  a  stir  was  observed  in  the  gun-boat,  and  the  tug  put  off,  carrying 
back  some  officers  to  the  transport.  'Now  for  Columbus,'  said  every 
body ;  and  in  imagination  we  had  already  penetrated  the  securities  of 
that  stronghold,  and  were  rambling  among  its  water  batteries,  its  land 
batteries,  rifle-pits,  breastworks,  redans,  abatis,  bastions,  redoubts,  pali 
sades,  lunettes,  and  the  Lord  only  knows  what  else,  when  three  flags 

glided  up  the  staff  on  the  flag-boat,  and  Master ,  of  the  Carmdelet, 

with  the  remark,  *  That's  to  close  up,  probably,'  opened  his  signal-book, 
and,  with  a  look  of  incredulity,  read,  *  Fall  in  line.' 

"  But  there  seemed  to  be  no  mistake.  The  Cincinnati  bore  straight  up 
the  river  for  Cairo — black,  grim,  and  uncommunicative ;  and  shortly  after 
we  had  all  taken  our  places,  and  were  slowly  following  our  leader. 

"  Arriving  at  Cairo,  a  rush  was  made  for  the  commodore.  No  use. 
Never  was  a  drum  tighter  than  the  hero  of  Henry  and  Donelson,  and 
the  sorrowing  crowd  departed." 

The  flag  of  truce,  to  all  appearance,  was  simply  an  expedient 
to  obtain  knowledge  of  the  strength  of  the  National  forces. 
Whether  it  were  so  or  not,  its  result  was  favorable  to  our  cause, 
as  it  was  at  once  followed  by  the  evacuation  of  Columbus. 
The  reader  can  form  his  own  judgment  of  the  case  from  the 
facts  and  the  correspondence.  General  Polk  sent  by  the  trans 
port  this  letter : 


A  Flag  of  Truce.  245 

"  HEAD-QUABTEBS,  FIRST  DIVISION,  WESTERN  DEPARTMENT,  ] 
COLUMBUS,  KY.,  Feb.  22, 1862.  f 

"  Presuming  you  will  be  willing  to  reciprocate  the  courtesy  shown  to 
the  families  of  officers  of  the  United  States  Army,  after  the  battle  of  Bel- 
mont,  in  allowing  them  to  visit  those  officers  who  were  prisoners  within 
my  lines,  I  take  the  liberty  of  sending  up,  under  a  flag  of  truce,  the  fam 
ilies  of  several  of  our  officers  who  were  captured  at  Donelson.  These 
are  the  families  of  General  Buckner  and  Colonels  Hawson  and  Medeira. 
They  are  accompanied  by  Colonel  Russel  and  Messrs.  Vance  and  Stock- 
dale  as  escorts ;  also  by  Mr.  Mass. 

"  Hoping  you  may  find  it  convenient  to  send  these  ladies  forward  to 
their  husbands,  I  have  the  honor  to  remain,  respectfully,  your  obedient 
servant,  L.  POLK,  Major-General,  commanding. 

"  To  Commanding  Officer  U.  S.  Forces,  Cairo,  111." 

This  was  answered  as  follows : 

"  UNITED  STATES  FLAG-STEAMER  '  CINCINNATI,'  MISSISSIPPI  j 
RIVER,  NEAR  COLUMBUS,  KY.,  Feb.  23, 1862.  j 

"GENERAL,  —  Your  letter  of  the  22d  instant,  received  to-day  by  the 
hands  of  Captain  Blake  under  a  flag  of  truce,  nearly  within  range  of  your 
guns  and  in  the  presence  of  our  armed  forces,  at  half-past  twelve  o'clock  to 
day,  will  be  answered  to-morrow  by  a  flag  of  truce  at  the  same  point  of 
the  river  at  which  this  was  received. 

"  Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servants, 

"  ANDREW  H.  FOOTE, 
"  Flag-Officer,  commanding  Naval  Forces,  Western  Waters ; 

"  GEORGE  W.  CULLUM, 

"  Chief  of  Staff  and  Engineers,  Department  of  Missouri. 
"  Major-General  L.  Polk,  commanding  at  Columbus,  Ky." 

On  the  same  day  came  this  second  letter  from  General  Polk  : 
"  HEAD-QUABTEBS,  FIBST  DIVISION,  WESTEBN  DEPABTMENT,  ] 
COLUMBUS,  KY,  Feb.  23, 1862.  ) 

"  To  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer,  commanding  Naval  Forces,  Western  Wa 
ters  ;  GEO.  W.  CULLUM,  Brig.-General,  Chief  of  Staff  and  Engineers : 
"  GENTLEMEN, — I  have  received  your  note  of  this  date,  acknowledging 
mine  of  yesterday  asking  permission  for  the  wives  of  certain  Confederate 
States  officers  to  visit  their  husbands  who  had  been  made  prisoners  of 
war  at  Fort  Donelson. 

B 


246  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

"  The  application  was  based  on  the  fact  that  I  had  on  a  former  occa 
sion  granted  a  similar  request  made  of  me  in  behalf  of  the  wives  of  Col 
onels  Dougherty  and  McClerkin,  captured  at  Belmont,  and  the  assurance 
of  the  commanding  general  at  Cairo  that  he  would  reciprocate  the  court 
esy  if  events  should  make  it  desirable. 

"  I  note  that  you  say  my  letter  was  received  under  a  flag  of  truce, 
'  nearly  within  range  of  your  (my)  guns,  and  in  the  presence  of  our  (your) 
armed  forces? 

"  As  to  the  flag  appearing  in  the  presence  of  your  armed  forces,  and 
nearly  within  range  of  my  guns,  it  was  purely  accidental.  The  ladies, 
whose  safe  conduct  the  flag  was  intended  to  secure,  arrived  at  this  post 
from  Nashville  on  the  evening  of  the  21st  instant.  Preparations  were 
made  to  send  them  up  under  a  flag  on  the  22d,  and  my  letter  was  writ 
ten  and  intrusted  to  Captain  Blake.  The  departure  of  the  flag  was  pre 
vented  by  the  heavy  fall  of  rain.  They  left  this  morning,  the  boat  tak 
ing  its  departure  from  a  point  considerably  below  my  batteries,  from 
whence  your  position  in  the  river  (five  miles  above)  was  not  visible.  It 
appears  that  several  guns  were  fired  from  the  fort  prior  to  the  departure 
of  the  boat ;  but  as  my  artillery  officers  are  constantly  practicing,  the 
firing  attracted  no  particular  attention ;  and  the  presence  of  your  armed 
forces  in  the  river,  it  seems,  was  not  known  to  the  officer  in  charge  of 
the  flag  until  after  his  boat  had  passed  around  the  point. 

"  This  statement  of  facts,  I  am  informed,  has  already  been  made  to  you 
by  Captain  Blake ;  and  it  is  repeated  here  only  because  of  the  remark 
above  quoted,  which  you  have  taken  pains  to  underline. 

"  Allow  me  to  assure  myself  that  officers  of  your  rank  and  reputation 
could  not  impute  any  improper  motive  in  sending  a  flag  of  truce.  I 
would  be  unwilling  to  believe  such  a  suspicion  could  be  entertained  by 
any  mind  except  one  conscious  of  its  capacity  to  venture  upon  such  an 
abuse.  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  gentlemen,  your  obedient  servant, 

"L.  POLK, 
"  Major-General,  commanding  Confederate  Forces." 

The  next  day  this  dignified  though  sharp  response  was  sent 
by  a  flag  of  truce  from  the  National  head-quarters : 

"  CAIRO,  ILLINOIS,  February  24, 1862. 
'"  MAJOR-GENERAL  L.  POLK,  commanding  at  Columbus,  Ky.  : 

"  GENERAL, — In  answer  to  your  request  '  to  reciprocate  the  courtesy 
shown  to  the  families  and  officers  of  the  U.  S.  A.,  after  the  battle  of  Bel- 


A  Flag  of  Truce.  247 

mont,  in  allowing  them  to  visit  those  officers  who  were  prisoners,'  by  ask 
ing  permission  to  have  passed  through  our  lines  '  the  families  of  General 
Buckner  and  Colonels  Hawson  and  Medeira,'  captured  at  Fort  Donelson, 
accompanied  by  certain  gentlemen  as  escorts,  we  have  to  inform  you  that 
we  will  cheerfully  comply  with  your  request,  subject  to  the  approval  of 
the  President,  but  limited  to  the  wives  and  children  of  those  officers,  and 
excluding  their  escorts ;  but  to  provide  them  with  a  protector,  Colonel 
Thorn,  an  aid-de-camp  of  Major-General  Halleck,  and  one  of  the  bearers 
of  our  flag  of  truce,  has  offered  to  take  them  in  charge  as  far  as  St.  Louis, 
where  they  will  learn  the  destinations  of  the  captured  officers,  which  are 
unknown  to  us. 

"  The  flag  of  truce  will  wait,  if  necessary,  long  enough  to  obtain  your 
action  on  this  proposition. 

"  Before  concluding  this  note,  we  feel  constrained  to  make  some  re 
marks  upon  your  abuse  yesterday  of  the  sacred  character  of  a  flag  of 
truce. 

"  Upon  approaching  the  batteries  of  Columbus  with  armed  forces,  and 
when  within  supposed  range  of  your  artillery,  you  fired  three  heavy 
guns ;  and,  to  add  to  this  hostile  demonstration,  one  of  your  gun-boats 
rounded  Belmont  Point  apparently  to  give  battle ;  but  immediately,  upon 
discovering  our  strength  and  position,  retired.  Soon  after  there  appeared 
an  armed  steamer,  with  Captain  Blake  bearing  your  flag  of  truce,  accom 
panied  by  many  officers  and  citizens,  upon  the  frivolous  pretext  above 
stated,  evidently  with  the  intention  of  discovering  our  force  and  inten 
tions.  Under  these  circumstances,  by  the  usages  of  war,  the  dispatch- 
bearer  and  those  with  him  were  subject  to  be  made  prisoners  and  the 
steamer  captured ;  and  we  felt  it  our  duty  to  inform  you  that  a  repetition 
of  such  an  unwarrantable  abuse  of  a  flag  of  truce  will  not  again  be  toler 
ated. 

"  Your  letterfthough  dated  the  22d,  evidently  was  not  dispatched  till 
after  the  firing  of  your  first  gun,  near  eleven  o'clock,  more  than  an  hour 
before  your  flag  of  truce  was  seen  about  two  miles  from  your  batteries, 
and  certainly  dispatched  after  the  gun  was  discharged. 

"  Kegretting  that  we  have  to  animadvert  on  this  flagrant  departure 
from  the  established  usages  of  flags  of  truce, 

"  We  are,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servants, 

"  ANDREW  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer,  etc. ; 
"  GEORGE  W.  CULLUM,  Chief  of  Staff,  etc." 

In  a  letter  to  his  wife,  dated  the  23d,  Commodore  Foote 


248  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

thus  speaks  of  this  "flag  of  truce"  affair,  which  perhaps  has 
already  taken  up  too  much  space : 

"  "We  had  been  to  Columbus,  and  had  got  the  two  mortars  in  position  to 
open  upon  Belmont,  when  a  flag  of  truce  came  out  with  several  ladies,  as 
you  will  see  by  General  Folk's  letter,  and  we  hoped  it  was  to  surrender; 
but,  instead,  it  was  a  mere  artifice  to  discover  our  strength.  We  shall 
write  a  letter  to  the  Right  Rev.  General  to-morrow,  charging  him  with 
violating  all  military  rules  of  propriety  by  his  remarkable  act.  We  were 
glad  it  was  done,  however,  as  we  ran  within  sight  of  his  heavy  batteries, 
and  attained  the  object  of  our  reconnoissance — still,  we  shall  give  the 
bishop  a  rub." 

He  says  in  this  same  letter: 

"  I  am  still  on  crutches,  but  my  foot  is  rapidly  improving.  I  have  no 
objection  to  the  wound  either  in  the  foot  or  in  the  arm,  as  they  are  hon 
orable  wounds ;  but  the  last  was  a  hard  fight.  I  stood  one  side  of  a  gun 
when  five  out  of  six  men  were  knocked  down,  and  I  only  escaped  serious 
wounds.  I  was  touching  the  pilot  with  my  clothes  when  he  was  killed." 

The  following  dispatches  tell  the  story  of  the  speedy  break 
ing  up  of  the  enemy's  strong  position  at  Columbus,  which,  to 
gether  with  Nashville  and  Bowling  Green,  was  really  con 
quered  at  forts  Henry  and  Donelson : 

"  CAIRO,  March  1,1862. 

"  SIK, — Lieutenant-Commanding  Phelps,  sent  with  a  flag  of  truce  to 
day  to  Columbus,  has  this  moment  returned,  and  reports  that  Columbus  is 
being  evacuated.  He  saw  the  rebels  burning  their  winter-quarters,  and 
removing  their  heavy  guns  on  the  bluffs ;  but  the  guns  in  the  water-bat 
teries  remain  intact.  He  also  saw  a  large  force  of  cavalry  drawn  up  os 
tentatiously  on  the  bluffs,  but  no  infantry  were  to  be  seen  as  heretofore ; 
and  the  encampment  seen  in  our  armed  reconnoissance  a  few  days  ago 
has  been  removed.  Large  fires  were  visible  in  the  town  of  Columbus  and 
upon  the  river  banks  below,  indicating  the  destruction  of  the  town,  mili 
tary  stores,  and  equipments. 

"  I  shall  consult  General  Cullum,  and  we  shall  probably  proceed  to  Co 
lumbus  with  the  force  we  have  already  soon  after  daylight.  General 
Polk  informs  us  that  he  will  send  a  flag  of  truce  at  meridian  to-morrow 
to  the  point  where  the  flags  of  truce  met  to-day,  in  reference  to  which 


Evacuation  of  Columbus.  249 


we  shall  be  governed  according  to  circumstances.  But  as  General  Cul- 
lum  has  not  been  fully  consulted,  I  can  give  no  particular  information  of 
our  movements  to-morrow.  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  etc., 

u  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 
"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles,  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

"  U.  S.  FLAG-STEAMER  '  CINCINNATI,'  COLUMBUS,  ] 
March,  4, 1862.  j 

"  SLR, — I  have  the  honor  to  forward  a  copy  of  the  telegram  sent  to  the 
Department  to-day  announcing  the  fall  of  Columbus. 

"  The  fleet  not  being  in  a  condition  to  proceed  down  to  Island  No.  Ten 
and  to  New  Madrid,  where  the  rebels  are  represented  as  fortifying,  I  leave 
for  Cairo  immediately  to  make  the  necessary  preparation  for  going  down 
the  river  with  a  suitable  force  of  gun-boats  and  mortar-boats  in  a  proper 
condition  for  effective  service.  I  am  fully  impressed  with  the  importance 
of  proceeding  to  New  Madrid  as  soon  as  possible,  where  General  Pope 
has  arrived  with  ten  thousand  men ;  but  such  is  the  condition  of  my  com 
mand  that  I  shall  decline  moving,  as  I  informed  Generals  Sherman  and 
Cullum,  unless  I  am  ordered  to  do  so  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  as  I 
must  be  the  judge  of  the  condition  of  the  fleet,  and  when  it  is  prepared 
for  the  service  required. 

"  It  is  due  to  Commander  Pennock,  the  fleet  captain,  and  to  Mr.  San- 
ford,  the  ordnance  officer  of  the  flotilla,  to  say  to  the  Department  that 
these  efficient  officers  earnestly  entreated  me  to  permit  them  to  go  on  this 
expedition,  as  well  as  up  the  Tennessee  and  Cumberland  rivers ;  but  their 
services  in  preparing  the  gun  and  mortar  boats  at  Cairo  being  absolutely 
necessary,  I  reluctantly  denied  their  application  from  a  sense  of  duty  to 
the  government;  yet  their  services  should  be  regarded  as  equally  im 
portant  to  the  ojjject  of  the  expedition  as  if  they  had  participated  in  the 
different  actions.  A.  H.  FOOTE. 

"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles." 

In  his  report  of  the  evacuation,  March  4,  he  says : 

"  My  armed  reconnoissance,  on  the  3d  instant,  caused  a  hasty  evacua 
tion,  the  rebels  leaving  quite  a  number  of  guns  and  carriages,  ammuni 
tion,  and  a  large  quantity  of  shot  and  shell,  a  considerable  number  of 
anchors,  and  the  remnant  of  a  chain  lately  stretched  across  the  river,  with 
a  large  number  of  torpedoes.  Most  of  the  huts,  tents,  and  quarters  are 
destroyed. 


250  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

"  The  works  are  of  very  great  strength,  consisting  of  formidable  tiers 
of  batteries  on  the  water  side,  and  on  the  land  side  surrounded  by  a  ditch 
and  abatis. 

u  General  Sherman,  with  Lieutenant-Commanding  Phelps,  not  know 
ing  that  the  works  were  last  evening  occupied  by  four  hundred  of  the 
Second  Illinois  Cavalry,  on  a  scouting  party  sent  by  General  Sherman 
from  Paducah,  made  a  bold  dash  to  the  shore  under  the  batteries,  hoist 
ing  the  American  flag  on  the  summit  of  the  bluff,  greeted  by  the  hearty 
cheers  of  our  brave  tars  and  soldiers. 

"  The  force  consisted  of  six  gun  boats,  four  mortar-boats,  and  three 
transports,  having  on  board  two  regiments  and  two  battalions  of  infantry, 
under  command  of  Colonel  Buford — General  Cullum  and  General  Sher 
man  being  in  command  of  the  troops.  The  former,  leaving  a  sick-bed  to 
go  ashore,  discovered  what  was  evidently  a  magazine  on  fire,  and  imme 
diately  ordered  the  train  to  be  cut,  and  thus  saved  the  lives  of  the  gar 
rison.  A.  H.  FOOTE. 

"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles." 

There  was  every  evidence,  in  the  great  amount  of  ordnance 
and  military  property  left  behind,  and  the  vindictive  plan, 
happily  foiled,  of  destroying  the  victorious  forces,  that  the  en 
emy  suddenly  and  reluctantly  left  this  strong  fortification. 
The  powerful  show  of  grim  iron-clads  and  mortar- boats  no 
doubt  hastened  this  decision.  Foote  probably  felt  some  dis 
appointment  at  not  being  able  to  try  his  mortar-boats  upon  the 
heavy  fortifications  of  Columbus.  The  Assistant-Secretary  of 
the  Navy,  in  a  private  letter,  seems  to  have  felt  the  same  dis 
appointment  : 

"  NAVY  DEPARTMENT,  March  5, 1862. 

"  MY  DEAR  COMMODORE,— Last  night,  at  a  party  at  Mr.  Welles's,  your 
dispatch  was  received  giving  an  account  of  the  occupation  of  Columbus 
after  its  evacuation  by  the  rebels.  I  felt  a  pang  that  the  mortar-boats 
were  thus  deprived  of  a  participation  in  the  work.  As  Fremont  started 
these  at  my  suggestion,  I  naturally  feel  a  deep  interest  concerning  them, 
and  hoped  their  first  use  would  have  been  made  in  the  Western  waters 
by  yourself;  but  the  vagabonds  have  not  given  you  a  chance  at  Colum 
bus.  Perhaps  Porter  will  give  us  the  first  trial ;  but,  in  either  case,  God 


A  Friendly  Caution.  251 

speed  you.     I  have  no  fears  of  the  result.    I  notice  how  publicly  you 

praise .     Will  you  pardon  a  friend  for  observing  that  he  is  on  the 

staff  of  the  general  who  holds  you  back  and  ignores  you.  These  en 
gineer  officers  are  puffed  up  with  a  contempt  for  the  Navy,  and  have  all 
their  lives  been  trying  to  prove  impossible  what  you  have  demonstrated 
possible,  viz.,  to  attack  forts  successfully  with  vessels.  If  I  did  not  feel 
for  you  sincere  admiration  and  friendship,  and  have  your  reputation 
most  dear  to  me,  I  should  not  beg  of  you  to  be  careful  and  not  lavish 
praise  upon  any  person  in  your  dispatches,  unless  for  distinguished  con 
duct  that  must  also  be  apparent  to  those  who  are  distant  from  the  scene. 
I  don't  know  how  the  mail  now  is  between  here  and  Cairo,  but  it  has 
been  bad ;  and  Mr.  Blair  has  sent  out  two  agents  to  right  matters.  We 
all  feel  proud  of  your  work,  attained  without  the  efficient  co-operation 
of  any  one,  which  renders  your  labors  the  more  faithful.  If  you  do  rain 
13-inch  shells  upon  them,  be  sure  to  give  us  full  particulars  early. 

"  Very  truly  yours,  G.  V.  Fox. 

"Flag-Officer  A.  H.  Foote." 

We  have  noticed,  and  shall  notice  frequently  hereafter — 
what  it  would  be  folly  to  ignore — the  soreness  that  Foote  felt 
at  what  he  considered  the  great  injustice  done  him,  and  the 
false  position  in  which  he  was  placed  by  those  high  in  com 
mand,  whose  sympathies  were  wholly  given  to  the  other  arm 
of  the  service — the  Army.  He  had,  indeed,  come  to  the  de 
cision  to  obey  no  more  orders  issuing  from  Army  officers.  The 
Secretary,  whose  watchful  eye  was  over  the  Navy,  and  who 
exercised  a  judicious  rule  of  its  affairs,  notices  with  anxiety 
the  development  of  this  feeling,  and  cautions  him  against  it. 
Mr. Welles  says  to  him  in  a  letter  dated  May  7th : 

"  Step  by  step  I  have  watched  your  proceedings,  and  marked  the  per 
sistency,  patience,  and  determination,  under  many  and  great  discourage 
ments,  with  which  yourself  and  those  associated  with  you  have  met  and 
surmounted  every  difficulty.  Rest  assured  the  country  knows  and  justly 
appreciates  your  services.  I  am  confident  you  will  permit  no  jealous 
feeling,  or  any  appearance  of  such  feeling,  against  our  branch  of  the  serv 
ice  to  annoy  you ;  and  I  trust  that  it  will  at  no  time  be  cause  of  embarrass 
ment.  Under  your  orders  and  acts  the  Navy  has  vindicated  its  charac- 


252  Life  of  A dmiral  Foote. 

ter  before  the  country,  and  contributed  its  full  share  in  planting  again 
the  Union  standard,  and  restoring  the  Union  feeling  in  the  great  central 
valley.  The  rapid  and  successive  blows  you  have  struck  with  such  effect 
have  electrified  the  nation,  and  animated  our  people  with  higher  hopes 
than  I  have  before  witnessed  since  the  outbreak  of  this  rebellion.  This 
very  hasty  letter  I  have  written,  and  so  send  it  because  of  inexcusable 
delay  in  saying  to  you  privately  and  as  an  old  schoolmate — '  Friend,  how 
gratified  I  have  been  and  am  with  what  you  have  done.' " 


CHAPTEE  XX. 

E    SCENE  OF  OPERATI 

MOVEMENTS    AT    NEW    MADRID. CHARACTERISTIC 

ORDER. CORRESPONDENCE. 

THE  two  gun-boats  Taylor  and  Lexington  had  been  sent  by 
the  commodore  back  to  the  Tennessee  River,  to  guard  capt 
ured  posts  and  to  act  as  patrols  in  preventing  the  enemy  from 
erecting  new  fortifications  upon  the  shores.  A  spirited  little 
engagement  took  place  at  Pittsburg,  Tennessee,  on  the  1st  of 
March,  and  another  at  Chickasaw,  Alabama,  at  a  later  date, 
between  the  gun-boats  and  small  detachments  of  the  enemy's 
troops,  who  were  attempting  to  fortify  at  those  places,  result 
ing  in  the  breaking  up  of  their  plans,  and  showing  the  ability 
of  the  iron-clads  not  only  to  open  the  river,  but  to  keep  it 
open.  But  the  vessels  belonging  to  the  Western  flotilla  were 
now  called  to  a  greater  achievement — to  unlock  the  Missis 
sippi  itself,  that  it  might  be  a  free  stream  in  all  its  vast 
extent. 

The  Mississippi  has  been  frequently  described,  but  we  doubt 
if  any  powers  of  description  would  be  equal  to  convey  an  im 
pression  of  this  "Great  River,"  as  its  name  signifies.  The 
words  of  the  Psalmist  occur  to  one  as  he  sails  upon  its  broad 
bosom :  "  Thou  visitest  the  earth  and  waterest  it ;  thou  greatly 
enrichest  it  with  the  river  of  God,  which  is  full  of  water. 
Thou  preparest  the  corn  and  wine  when  thou  hast  so  provided 
for  it."  It  rolls  along  its  exhaustless  abundance  of  water  like 
a  sea,  through  territories  of  boundless  agricultural  wealth, while 
hundreds  of  cities,  some  of  them  already  of  considerable  mag 
nitude,  and  many  of  them  destined  to  be  densely  populated,  stud 


254  Life  of  A dmiral  Foote. 

its  banks.  When  one  is  at  St.  Paul,  in  Minnesota,  with  a  great 
river  still  above  him,  there  are  more  than  two  thousand  miles 
of  river  below  him ;  and  that  part  of  it  which  is  called  the 
"  Upper  Mississippi,"  from  Dubuque  to  St.  Paul,  where  the 
water  is  clear  and  pure,  is  equal  in  some  respects  to  the  Rhine 
or  the  Danube  in  beauty,  and  will  hereafter  be  visited  and 
built  upon  for  its  noble  scenery.  At  St.  Louis,  a  thousand 
miles  and  more  above  its  mouth,  and  at  points  where  was  the 
chief  scene  of  operations  of  "Footers  Flotilla,"  the  river  at 
places  is  more  than  two*  miles  wide,  turbid  with  the  yellow 
flood  of  the  muddy  Missouri,  and  strong  in  current  with  the 
mingled  force  of  two  mighty  streams.  It  is  a  thoroughly 
masculine  river,  an  impetuously  rolling  and  uncontrollable 
flood,  sometimes  devouring  in  its  insatiate,  destructive  will 
large  sections  of  the  land,  and  changing  its  channel  at  pleas 
ure.  Its  banks  are  like  those  of  the  Nile — mud-banks  that 
break  off  suddenly,  not  slope  off  gradually — and  one  can  fre 
quently  see  great  masses  of  soil  detaching  themselves  and  fall 
ing  into  the  river.  For  hundreds  of  miles  continuously  there 
is  sometimes  nothing  but  forest — sombre,  almost  impenetrable 
primeval  forest;  and  through  such  as  this  the  men  of  Foote 
and  Pope  had  to  hew  their  way  at  Island  No.  Ten.  The 
broad  current  at  times  separates  into  three  or  four  channels, 
now  chafing  the  foot  of  high  bluffs  on  one  side,  and  losing  it 
self  on  the  other  in  swampy  forests  or  bayous,  in  whose  endless 
vistas  the  eye  vainly  wanders.  Upon  the  shores  of  this  river 
an  empire  is  growing,  and  the  dullest  mind  can  see  that  in  the 
future  the  great  rivers  of  the  East — the  Nile,  the  Euphrates, 
and  the  Ganges — will  be  equaled,  perhaps  surpassed,  in  what 
will  probably  be  here  realized  in  the  populousness  and  magni 
tude  of  its  magnificent  states.  It  is  now  comparatively  with 
out  a  history— it  runs  for  hundreds  of  miles  through  almost 
savage  and  unrecorded  wildernesses;  but  already,  since  the 
last  war,  it  is  becoming  an  historic  river,  and  a  human  inter- 


The  Mississippi.  255 


est,  romantic  and  powerful,  is  blending  with  the  majesty  of  its 
natural  features.  New  Orleans,  Yicksburg,  Island  No.  Ten, 
have  fastened  the  charm  of  valor,  faith,  and  patient  endurance, 
for  the  sake  of  great  principles  and  the  interests  of  humanity, 
upon  its  shores. 

Henceforth — to  return  to  our  narrative — the  short  remain 
ing  active  career  of  Commodore  Foote  is  confined  to  his  unre 
mitting  efforts  to  clear  away  the  forts  and  barriers  that  the  en 
emy  had  placed  upon  this  pathway  of  the  nation,  which  the 
West  had  decreed  should  be  free,  and  had  consecrated  to  free 
dom  forever.  He  expected  to  do  this  with  his  own  fleet.  He 
declared  more  than  once  that  he  intended  to  descend  the  Mis 
sissippi  to  its  mouth ;  and  this  accounts  for  the  deliberateness 
of  all  his  preparations  for  a  task  that  he  knew,  better  than 
others,  was  so  great.  He  fairly  began  this  work,  which  was 
finished  by  Farragut,  together  with  the  blows  of  Grant  at 
Vicksburg,  so  that  the  names  of  the  two  naval  heroes  must 
hereafter  be  associated  with  the  mighty  stream  which  they 
were  instrumental  in  opening  anew  to  freedom,  sweeping  away 
every  obstruction  upon  its  broad  waters.  He  was  not  permit 
ted  to  do  all  he  wished  to  do,  but  what  he  did  was  genuine 
work,  and  was  what  gave  the  impulse  to  final  complete  success. 

After  Columbus  was  made  untenable  by  the  breaking  up  of 
the  first  line  of  the  Southern  defense,  or,  in  view  of  this  antic 
ipated  event,  the  rebel  leaders  had  pitched  upon  a  position 
some  forty  miles  below,  on  the  river,  at  the  now  famous  Island 
No.  Ten,  which  they  fortified  with  every  device  of  military  en 
gineering  skill,  under  the  immediate  personal  supervision  of 
General  Beauregard,  who  had  been  then  recently  appointed  to 
the  command  of  the  Department  of  Mississippi. 

Island  No.  Ten*  is  situated  at  the  turn  of  a  long  bend  in  the 

*  Below  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  River  the  islands  in  the  Mississippi  are 
designated  by  successive  numbers. 


256  Life  of  A dmiral  Foote. 

river  fifty-five  miles  below  Cairo,  and  by  nature  and  art  was 
perhaps  the  strongest  position  on  the  river.  It  could  not 
readily  be  reached  by  land  forces;  and  field  batteries  were 
placed  along  the  shores  approaching  it  for  ten  or  twelve  miles 
commanding  the  channel,  where  the  current  of  the  Mississippi 
was  so  swift  and  strong  that  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty 
that  cumbrous  iron-clads  like  those  commanded  by  Commo 
dore  Foote,  with  deficient  steam-power,  could  hold  their  own  ; 
and  they  had  to  be  managed  with  the  greatest  caution,  lest, 
becoming  unmanageable,  they  should  drift  down  under  the 
enemy's  batteries.  This  fighting  down  stream,  with  their 
sterns  up  stream,  or  "bow  on,  and  with  only  the  forward 
guns,"  in  the  uncontrollable  and  sea-like  Mississippi,  with 
clumsy  arks  of  boats  that  were  really  little  more  than  huge 
floating  batteries,  was  a  very  different  duty  from  fighting  up 
stream  in  the  smaller  Cumberland  and  Tennessee  rivers,  where 
the  boats  could  be  brought  into  close  range,  and,  if  disabled, 
would  of  themselves  float  away  from  the  enemy's  reach. 
Some  seventy  heavy  guns  upon  the  island  and  its  opposite 
shores  were  so  trained  that,  though  set  in  batteries  wide  apart, 
which  necessitated  their  being  assailed  separately,  they  were 
still  enabled  to  direct  their  fire  simultaneously  upon  one  spot. 
The  whole  side  of  the  island  fronting  the  Missouri  shore  bris 
tled  with  cannon,  and  the  stream  itself  narrowed  at  this  point. 
At  Island  No.  Ten  the  river,  after  making  a  sudden  bend,  runs 
to  the  northwest  several  miles,  and  at  the  turn  of  the  northern 
bend,  where  it  begins  to  take  once  more  a  southerly  direction, 
at  the  junction  of  a  large  bayou  and  the  Mississippi,  is  situated 
New  Madrid,  on  the  Missouri  shore.  In  order  to  prevent  the 
island's  being  attacked  by  land  forces  from  the  Missouri  side, 
the  rebels  had  strongly  fortified  at  New  Madrid,  and  stationed 
there  a  large  number  of  troops,  drawn  partially  from  the  now 
abandoned  stronghold  of  Columbus ;  and  they  had  also  fortified 
a  few  miles  below  New  Madrid,  upon  the  Tennessee  side. 


Island  No.  Ten. 


257 


Between  New  Madrid  and  Island  No.  Ten,  on  both  sides  of 
the  Mississippi,  extend  immense  swamps  or  bayous,  which  for 
bade  military  operations,  and  which  also  hemmed  in  the  rebel 
forces  themselves,  and  prevented  their  escape  in  case  the  isl 
and  should  be  captured.*  It  was,  in  fact,  a  huge  and  compli 
cated  system  of  water-locked  defenses,  at  the  centre  of  which, 
and  guarding  the  channel  of  the  Mississippi,  lay  the  strong 
and  almost  unassailable  fort  of  Island  No.  Ten,  like  a  dragon 
of  fable,  coiled  in  the  heart  of  its  swampy  fastnesses ;  and,  to 
carry  out  the  illustration,  belching  forth  sulphureous  flames. 
In  order  to  completely  invest  this  fortification,  it  was  neces 
sary  first  to  obtain  possession  of  New  Madrid,  and  thus  cut  it 
off  from  below,  as  the  river  ran,  though  really  above,  geo-  \ 
graphically  speaking.  This  task  was  assigned  to  General 
John  Pope,  who  proved  himself  an  able  and  energetic  com 
mander,  with  great  resources  and  perseverance.  As  early  as 
the  22d  of  February,  General  Pope  was  dispatched  by  General 
Halleck  from  St.  Louis,  with  a  considerable  body  of  Ohio  and 
Illinois  troops,  to  attack  New  Madrid.  His  transports  landed 
at  Commerce,  in  Missouri;  and  his  main  column,  toiling 
through  miry  swamps,  on  the  same  day  that  Columbus  was 
evacuated  (March  3d),  appeared  before  New  Madrid,  where 
Pope  found  to  oppose  him,  in  addition  to  a  large  rebel  force, 
Hollins's  flotilla  of  gun-boats  on  the  river,  f  He  retired  out 
of  reach  of  their  cannon,  and  sent  to  Cairo  for  heavy  siege- 
guns.  He  also  planted  successfully  a  battery  twelve  miles 
down  the  river,  at  Point  Pleasant,  in  the  rear  of  Island  No. 
Ten.  As  soon  as  his  heavy  artillery  arrived,  being  laboriously 
dragged  through  the  swamps,  after  "  a  quick,  sharp  siege,"  in 
which  the  Confederates  suffered  greatly,  they  fled  precipitate 
ly,  leaving  New  Madrid  in  Pope's  possession. 


*  Boynton's  "History  of  the  Navy  during  the  Rebellion,"  vol.  i.,  p.  535. 
t  Lossing's  "  Civil  War  in  America,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  239. 


258  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

The  morning  that  the  National  troops  under  General  Pope 
entered  New  Madrid  (March  14),  Commodore  Foote  left  Cairo 
with  his  fleet,  to  co-operate  with  him  at  Island  No.  Ten ;  but 
before  giving  an  account  of  his  operations  at  that  point,  there 
are  a  few  matters  of  previous  occurrence  and  some  correspond 
ence  to  be  taken  notice  of. 

We  mentioned  the  spirited  services  of  the  gun-boats  Taylor 
and  Lexington  on  the  Tennessee  River,  undertaken  to  prevent 
the  rebels  from  refortifying  at  Pittsburg  and  Chickasaw. 
This  gallant  conduct  drew  forth  the  lively  praise  of  the  flag- 
officer,  who,  beyond  almost  any  commander  in  the  war,  was 
generous  to  render  his  subordinates  their  full  honor,  but  it 
also  called  forth  this  sailor-like  order : 

"  CAIRO,  March  4, 1862. 

"  SIR, — I  have  received  your  report,  and  have  forwarded  it  to  the  Sec 
retary  of  the  Navy,  with  commendatory  remarks.  But  I  give  a  general 
order  that  no  commander  will  land  men  to  make  an  attack  ashore.  Our 
gun-boats  have  no  more  men  than  are  necessary  to  man  the  guns ;  and  as 
the  army  must  do  the  shore  work,  and  as  the  enemy  want  nothing  better 
than  to  entice  our  men  ashore  and  overpower  them  with  superior  num 
bers,  the  commanders  must  not  operate  ashore,  but  confine  themselves  to 
their  vessels.  In  haste,  respectfully,  A.  H.  FOOTE. 

"  Lieutenant-Commanding  Gwin. 

"  P.  S. — Be  cautious,  as  it  is  an  element  equally  necessary  to  bravery, 
and  life  must  not  be  risked  without  a  prospect  of  success." 

It  is  but  right  to  presume  that  if  Foote  had  lived  long 
enough  he  would  have  organized  the  Navy  Department  of  the 
West  into  a  more  homogeneous  body,  doing  its  own  work 
more  exclusively  but  effectively,  and  having  its  own  position 
and  rights  more  clearly  understood,  so  that  the  Army  would 
have  looked  upon  it  in  the  light  of  an  ally  and  equal,  not  of  a 
mere  auxiliary,  and  that  something  of  the  high  and  united 
spirit  of  the  American  Navy  would  have  been  breathed  into 
it.  We  are  perhaps  even  now  inclined  to  think  of  the  Navy 


Correspondence.  259 


as  confined  wholly  to  the  ocean  coast,  and  to  forget  the  im 
mense  extent  of  inland  waters  over  which  a  well-regulated  na 
val  organization  should  extend;  although  it  is  the  desire  of 
every  patriotic  heart  that  civil  war  will  never  again  require  the 
services  of  fighting  vessels  so  far  within  our  own  borders.  It 
is  to  be  fervently  hoped  that  the  broad  realms  of  North  and 
South,  united  by  the  Mississippi  Eiver,  by  nature,  by  origin, 
by  kinship,  by  liberty,  shall  be  evermore  one  happy  nation. 

The  two  following  letters  at  this  time  relating  to  things  im 
mediately  past  and  present  betoken  much  anxiety  and  de 
spondency  of  mind,  and  we  insert  them  for  the  reason  that 
this  is  not  intended  to  be  a  eulogy,  but  a  real  life,  with  its 
lights  and  shadows.  Yet  some  of  the  statements  in  these  let 
ters  are  important,  as  coming  from  a  man  of  strict  truth  and 
honesty.  The  first  is  addressed  to  a  relative  of  his  family : 

"CAIRO,  March  9,1862. 

"  MY  DEAB  SIR, — I  place  a  high  value  on  your  letter,  independently  of 
the  source  from  which  it  comes,  as  it  is  an  effort  for  you  to  write.  I 
wish  I  had  the  time,  if  I  have  the  ability,  to  respond  by  one  as  good. 

"  I  send  Augusta  the  certificate  of  the  best  surgeon  here,  who  is  at  the 
head  of  the  Sanitary  Committee,  relative  to  my  wounded  foot,  or,  per 
haps,  I  might  more  properly  call  it  a  diagnosis.  I  have  pain  in  my  foot ; 
but  you  will  see  from  the  certificate  that  there  is  no  danger  to  be  appre 
hended,  unless  it  is  to  the  government  from  my  not  being  able  to  give 
personal  attention  to  my  varied  duties.  Still  every  moment  of  my  time 
from  seven  A.M.  till  eleven  P.M.  is  occupied  with  office  duties.  I  am 
on  crutches,  and  should  be  happy  at  the  idea  of  being  able  to  lay  them 
aside. 

"  I  have  to  work  against  a  good  deal  of  opposition.  Not  even  a  Navy 
officer  at  home  can  conceive  of  the  magnitude  of  my  work — navy-yard 
and  fleet  duties ;  and  I  would  not  again  pass  through  the  mental  agony 
and  bodily  effort,  certainly  for  all  the  credit  I  do  or  can  receive  from  the 
public.  It  is  a  bitter  cup,  and  I  can  hardly  drink  it.  It  has  added  ten 
years  .to  my  age,  and  it  is  quite  enough  to  break  any  man  down.  I  do 
not  like  the  course  that  has  been  pursued  in  regard  to  me.  On  the  28th 
of  January  I  suggested  the  attack  on  Fort  Henry,  and  gave  my  orders 


260  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

two  days  before  the  fight  for  Lieutenant-Commanding  Phelps  to  proceed 
up  the  Tennessee,  and  destroy  the  rebel  gun-boats  and  their  property  as 
far  as  the  river  was  navigable,  and  off  he  went  to  Mississippi  and  Ala 
bama  without  a  word  from  Halleck.  Yet  he  and  McClellan  got  the 
credit  of  the  thing.  The  rebels  and  many  of  our  Army  officers  say  that 
our  desperate  fight  demoralized  the  rebels  at  Fort  Donelson,  so  much  so 
that  they  could  not  even  cut  their  way  through  the  lines  the  next  day  in 
their  attempt  to  escape ;  and  if  they  had  not  been  demoralized,  why,  a 
military  man  would  ask,  did  they  not  hold  on  in  their  intrenchments  ? 
Still  I  fought  Fort  Donelson  four  days  before  I  was  ready,  as  I  wanted 
my  six  mortar-boats ;  but  General  Halleck  urged  me,  and  I  determined 
to  take  the  only  course,  by  a  close  action,  which  could  secure  us  a  vic 
tory  without  the  mortar-boats.  Then  I  went  up  and  took  possession  of 
Clarksville,  hoisting  our  flag  and  issuing  the  proclamation,  and  General 
Halleck  says  in  his  official  dispatches  it  was  four  days  afterward  occupied 
by  General  Smith,  making  no  allusion  to  my  command.  I  was  then  ready 
to  proceed  on  and  take  Nashville,  and  was  about  starting  when  I  re 
ceived  an  order  not  to  do  it,  which  if  I  had  done,  the  Assistant-Secretary 
of  the  Navy  says,  I  would  have  saved  a  million  dollars'  worth  of  rebel 
arms  and  a  factory  for  making  percussion-caps.  The  citizens  expected 
the  gun-boats,  and  General  A.  S.  Johnston  advised  them  to  leave  and 
abandon  the  city,  as  I  was  coming — hence  the  panic;  and,  after  all, 
Buell  could  not  march  in  until  he  got  a  gun-boat  first  off  the  city.  Now 
I  am  wanted  to  go,  even  if  not  prepared,  to  the  attack  of  Island  No.  Ten 
and  New  Madrid,  and  Assistant-Secretary  Scott  urges  me ;  but  I  have  re 
fused  positively  to  do  it,  and  will  wait  till  Wednesday,  when  I  will 
have  the  mortar-boats  and  the  Benton,  and  can,  God  willing,  who  gives 
the  victory,  do  it  easily.  I  have  no  fears  for  this  week's  work. 

"  Oh,  how  I  long  for  this  war  to  terminate  !  I  have  had  enough  of  it, 
and  I  think  the  South  will  also  have  been  taught  to  respect  Yankee 
pluck.  I  pray  that  God  may  soon  send  us  peace  and  prosperity.  As 
for  myself,  wonderful  to  say,  excepting  my  foot,  I  am  in  remarkable 
health. 

"  Excuse  my  haste,  as  I  have  more  than  I  can  possibly  attend  to  in  the 
way  of  business,  and  I  may  have  to  delay  writing  to  Augusta ;  if  so, 
please  show  her  this.  I  hope  to  return  here  after  going  down  about 
sixty  miles  to  attack  No.  Ten  and  New  Madrid.  In  the  mean  time,  let 
Augusta  write  as  usual,  and  I  will  write  when  I  get  a  chance.  With 
love  to  all.  Very  truly  yours,  A.  H.  FOOTE." 


Correspondence.  261 

" 4  BENTON,'  CAIRO,  March  12,  1862. 

"MY  DEAK  WIFE, — Your  excellent  letter  and  William's  came  this 
morning  like  sunbeams  just  as  I  was  writing  a  letter  of  sympathy  and 
condolence  to  our  dear  friend  Commodore  Smith  on  Joe's  death.*  It 
was  a  sad  affair ;  but  such  things  will  happen  in  war.  I  can  not  express 
my  horrible  pressure  of  responsibility;  and  now,  honestly,  I  am  almost 
crazy  that  no  troops  have  been  furnished  to  accompany  me  and  occupy 


*  This  promising  young  officer  went  down  in  the  Cumberland  at  Hamp 
ton  Roads,  March  8th,  1862.  Senator  Grimes,  of  Iowa,  spoke  thus  of  him 
in  the  United  States  Senate,  March  13 : 

"  But  while  I  would  thus  honor  the  gallant  living,  I  would  bear  my 
tribute  of  affectionate  respect  for  the  memory  of  the  heroic  dead  who  fell 
in  the  engagement  in  Hampton  Roads.  Let  the  remembrance  of  that 
brave  young  officer,  whose  obsequies  are  now  being  performed  in  another 
part  of  this  city,  who,  when  his  vessel  was  sinking  beneath  his  feet,  re 
plied  to  a  summons  to  surrender  that  he  would  never  give  up  the  flag 
intrusted  to  his  keeping,  and  the  next  moment  met  death  with  compos 
ure,  be  cherished  by  his  countrymen.  The  name  of  Smith,  already  illus 
trious  in  the  annals  of  the  American  Navy,  will  be  added  to  the  bright 
galaxy  of  those  who  have  freely  laid  down  their  lives  at  the  call  of  their 
country." 

We  can  not  refrain  from  adding  the  father's  response  to  the  letter  re 
ferred  to,  for  its  manly  pathos . 

"March  21,1862. 

"  MY  DEAR  FOOTE,—  I  duly  received  your  kind  note  of  condolence,  and 
now  I  have  to  sympathize  with  you  in  your  bereavement  and  loss  of  a 
darling  boy.  We  must  bow  our  heads  and  lick  the  dust,  and  say.  'Though 
He  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust  in  Him.'  I  was  relieved  by  receiving  the 
mutilated  remains  of  my  son,  and  I  deposited  them  with  those  of  his 
mother.  We  are  looking  most  anxiously  for  reports  of  your  success  at 
No.  Ten.  God  give  you  the  victory. 

"  I  have  just  received  a  letter  from  my  only  son,  and  he  inclosed  one 
for  you,  which  I  forward  herewith.  He  has  a  hard  time  with  his  gun 
boat,  but  I  pray  he  may  be  spared  to  me.  I  fear  Farragut  has  a  difficult 
task  to  ascend  the  Mississippi — his  vessels  draw  too  much  water ;  but  I 
hope  you  may  meet  him  at  New  Orleans. 

"  Our  arms  seem  to  be  victorious  every  where  except  in  the  untoward 
event  at  Newport  News.  We  have  been  too  indifferent  about  the  monster 
Merrimack.  I  am  glad  to  know  my  son  performed  his  duty  as  well  as 
any  man  could  under  the  circumstances.  I  am  almost  crazy  with  the 
cares  that  rest  upon  me,  which  I  shall  endeavor  to  dispose  of  to  the  best 
of  my  ability ;  but  I  am  old,  and  my  mind  is  somewhat  impaired ;  yet  I 
shall  stick  to  rny  post,  and  do  all  I  can  for  the  cause  of  the  Union  and 
the  defense  of  liberty. 

"  I  am  taxed  to  the  utmost  of  my  power.     God  bless  you. 

"  Yours  as  always,  JOSEPH  SMITH. 

"  Flag-Officer  A.  H.  Foote." 

s 


262  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

Island  No.  Ten,  if  we  take  it,  since,  if  I  leave  it  unoccupied,  the  rebels 
will  come  back  to  their  batteries  and  reoccupy  it,  and  keep  our  supplies 
from  coming  to  us  from  here.  I  do  not  understand  such  movements. 
I  would  not,  my  dear,  be  in  the  position  I  am — the  vast  responsibility  of 
this  river,  which,  if  disaster  occur  to  my  boats,  the  rebels  could  retake 
Columbus,  capture  St.  Louis,  and  command  the  Mississippi  River — for 
all  the  world  can  give.  The  mere  fight,  my  mere  life,  is  nothing  in  the 
consideration.  An  officer  said  truly  this  morning  that  no  man  in  the 
nation  had  the  dreadful  responsibility  upon  him  that  I  had.  Cullum  is 
sick,  and  gone  to  St.  Louis,  and  Scott  ordered  home,  and  Governor 
Strong,  a  citizen  volunteer,  is  in  command  here.  Thus  it  goes.  I  am  ap 
prehensive  of  disaster  for  want  of  management  on  the  part  of  the  Army. 
I  write,  my  dear,  that  if  disaster  come,  you  may  know  the  reason,  and 
have  my  vindication ;  for  I  have  done  all  that  should  be  done  to  avert 
it.  You  will  know  the  result  by  telegram  before  this  reaches  you,  and 
you  need  not  caution  me  against  being  spoiled  by  success,  as  I  was  never 
more  humbled.  I  would  this  moment  give  all  I  am  worth  could  I  be 
on  the  Atlantic  a  captain  of  a  good  steam-frigate,  instead  of  being  out 
here  under  a  pressure  which  would  crush  most  men ;  and  how  I  have 
stood  it  thus  far  I  can  only  account  for  by  the  fact  that  '  God  has  been 
my  helper.'  I  have  not  time  to  answer  yours  in  detail.  All  is  confusion, 
and  I  am  almost  in  despair.  Oh,  my  dear,  if  our  affairs,  if  our  '  house 
were  put  in  order,'  and  our  children  older  and  doing  well,  what  a  relief 
it  would  be  to  quietly  wait  God's  time,  and  joyfully  leave  this  world  for 
the  glories  of  a  blessed  immortality.  That  is  the  bright  spot — the  sun 
shine  amid  the  gloom  and  darkness.  Here  we  must  do  our  duty,  and  I 
pray  for  strength  to  do  mine,  and  to  God  let  us  commend  ourselves  and 
our  children  and  all  whom  we  hold  dear.  He  has  placed  me  here,  and  I 
hope  I  may  in  a  proper  spirit  perform  his  will.  To  your  parents  and 
cousins  my  love,  and  love  and  kisses  to  the  children.  Am  glad  to  hear 
darling  Emily  is  more  free  from  pain. 

"  Ever  affectionately  your  dear  husband,  A.  H.  FOOTE. 

"  Beauregard  and  General  Bragg  are  here. 

"Later. — General  Halleck  telegraphs  'not  to  make  an  attack  on  No. 
Ten  till  further  orders,  as  he  wishes  to  wait  till  General  Pope  gets  his 
heavy  guns  in  position  to  cut  off  the  enemy's  retreat.'  This  may  induce 
the  rebels  to  evacuate  it.  At  all  events,  we  shall  go  better  prepared; 
so  don't  give  yourself  uneasiness  about  me." 


Longings.  263 


The  writer  of  these  letters  was  not  a  man  who  loved  war 
for  war's  sake.  He  was  ready  to  use  it,  and  use  it  with  terri 
ble  effect,  for  great  ends;  but  he  would  have  been  glad  at 
any  moment  to  retire  from  its  troubled  scenes.  He  was  a 
man,  at  heart,  of  peace,  of  kindly  domestic  affections,  and  of 
humane  ideas  and  desires  for  the  highest  happiness  of  his  fel 
low-men.  The  war-worn  fighter  murmured  in  his  heart — 

"But  we  grow  old.    Ah!  when  shall  all  men's  good 
Be  each  man's  rule,  and  universal  Peace" 
Lie  like  a  shaft  of  light  across  the  land, 
And  like  a  lane  of  beams  athwart  the  sea, 
Through  all  the  circle  of  the  golden  year  2" 


CHAPTEK  XXI. 

INVESTMENT     AND     BOMBARDMENT     OF     ISLAND     NUMBER     TEN. 

DEATH    OF    SON. CUTTING    CANAL    ACROSS    PENINSULA. 

IN  order  to  understand  clearly  the  history  of  naval  opera 
tions  at  Island  No.  Ten,*  the  following  letters  are  important : 

"DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI,  CAIRO, March  8, 1862. 
"FLAG-OFFICER  FOOTE,  U.S.N.,  commanding  Flotilla, Western  Waters: 

"  FLAG-OFFICER, — Major-Gen eral  Halleck  desires  that  a  demonstration 
by  gun  and  mortar  boats  should  be  made  by  Monday  morning  next  upon 
Island  No.  Ten,  and  then  upon  New  Madrid,  in  order  to  relieve  the  com 
mand  of  General  Pope,  now  in  front  of  that  place.  The  forces  of  General 
Pope  are  needed  for  movement  up  the  Tennessee,  and  must  be  ordered 
back  without  results  unless  we  can  bring  them  by  river  early  next  week, 
after  capturing  Island  No.  Ten  and  New  Madrid.  To  effect  these  impor 
tant  results,  I  desire  to  know  whether  you  can  have  ready  for  service  by 
Tuesday  night  four  gun  and  four  mortar  boats;  if  so,  I  will  provide 
transports  for  movement  by  land  forces  for  as  many  as  may  be  necessary 
to  remove  from  New  Madrid  such  portion  of  General  Pope's  forces  as  can 
be  safely  spared  after  capturing  New  Madrid  and  Island  No.  Ten. 

"  Your  immediate  attention  will  greatly  oblige, 
"  Yours  respectfully,  and  most  obedient  servant, 

"  GEO.  W.  CULLUM,  Brig.-Gen.,  Chief  of  Staff,  and  Engineer." 

"  CAIRO,  March  8, 1862. 

"  GENERAL, — I  have  repeatedly  stated  to  you,  and  to  Assistant-Secre 
tary  Scott,  that  I  shall  not  be  ready  with  the  flotilla,  to  move  on  Island 
No.  Ten  and  New  Madrid,  until  Wednesday,  leaving  here  in  the  course 
of  that  day  with  gun  and  mortar  boats. 

"  If  I  am  peremptorily  ordered  to  move  before  that  time  by  Assistant- 
Secretary  of  War  Colonel  Scott,  I  shall  try  to  do  it,  but  under  a  remon- 

*  For  map  of  Island  No.  Ten,  and  its  surroundings,  see  p.  267. 


Military  Correspondence.  265 

strance  that  I  shall  deem  it  an  act  involving,  in  all  probability,  the  most 
disastrous  consequences  to  the  flotilla,  and  to  the  service  which  it  was 
designed  to  perform. 

"  The  pilot-houses  are  unsafe,  and  the  vessels  are  not  in  a  condition 
which  would  enable  them  to  make  any  thing  of  a  stand  against  such  a 
resistance  as  the  rebels  have  made  in  every  instance.  I  can  not,  there 
fore,  except  under  this  strong  remonstrance,  be  a  party  to  an  act  which  I 
believe  would  terminate  in  the  utter  demoralization  of  my  command. 

"  I  am,  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant,     A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 

"  Brig.-Gen.  Geo.W.  Cullum,  Chief  of  Staff  and  Engineer." 

In  a  letter  of  the  same  date  to  Lieutenant  Henry  A.  Wise 
(Bureau  of  Ordnance  and  Hydrography,  Washington)  he 
speaks  of  his  preparations  : 

"  The  Benton  is  under  way,  and  barely  stems  the  strong  current  of  the 
Ohio — five  knots  per  hour — in  this  rise  of  water,  but  I  hope  by  putting 
her  between  two  iron-clad  steamers  to-morrow  she  will  stem  the  current 
and  work  comparatively  well.  On  Wednesday  I  hope  to  take  down  seven 
iron-clads  and  ten  mortar-boats  to  attack  Island  No.  Ten  and  New  Mad 
rid.  A  portion  of  iron  plating  for  pilot-houses  and  chains  got  aboard 
a  steamer  from  Cincinnati,  which  was  prepared  to  go  up  the  Cumber 
land,  but  will  be  here  to-morrow  or  next  day.  As  the  current  is  in  some 
places  in  the  Mississippi  seven  miles  per  hour,  the  iron-clad  boats  can 
hardly  return  here ;  therefore  we  must  go  well  prepared,  which  detains 
us  longer  than  even  you  would  imagine  necessary  from  your  navy-yard 
and  smooth-water  stand-point." 

General  Pope  had  just  seized  New  Madrid  with  his  land 
forces,  and  planted  his  batteries  so  as  to  command  the  stream 
down  the  river;  and  when  the  gun-boats  assailed  Island  No. 
Ten  from  above,  the  place  would  be  thoroughly  invested,  and 
the  siege — so  full  of  picturesque  and  wonderful  incidents,  as 
it  proved  to  be — would  fairly  commence. 

This  order  from  General  Halleck  was  received  March  12th : 

"To  FLAG-OFFICER  FOOTE: 

"  You  will  not  make  an  attack  on  Island  No.  Ten  till  further  orders. 
I  wish  to  wait  till  General  Pope  gets  his  heavy  guns  in  position  to  cut 
oif  the  enemy's  retreat.  H.  W.  HALLECK,  Major-General." 


266  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

The  following  letter,  of  the  same  date,  shows  the  writer's 
state  of  mind  in  regard  to  the  enterprise : 

"'BENTON,'  March  12, 1862. 

"My  DEAR  SIR,— I  am  grateful  beyond  expression  for  your  kind  letter 
of  the  7th,  and  beg  to  be  excused  for  this  hasty  answer,  as  we  leave  to-day 
for  No.  Ten  and  New  Maddd,  and  I  trust  that  God  will  give  us  the  vic 
tory.  Island  No.  Ten  is  very  strongly  fortified,  and  we  shall  have  a  hard 
fight.  I  shall  be  very  cautious,  as  I  appreciate  the  vast  responsibility  of 
keeping  our  flotilla  from  falling  into  the  rebels'  hands,  as  it  would  turn 
the  whole  tide  of  affairs  against  us. 

"  I  will  not  show,  nor  have  I  shown  jealousy  against  the  Army.  I  am 
on  the  best  of  terms  with  Generals  Grant,  Smith,  McClernand,  and  with 
all  the  junior  officers.  I  thank  you  for  your  valuable  friendship,  and  will 
strive  to  retain  it.  Respects  to  your  family.  I  can  hardly  get  through 
my  work,  so  excuse  this. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  friend,  A.  H.  FOOTE. 

"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles." 

On  the  morning  of  the  14th  Foote  moved  down  the  river 
with  his  flotilla,  consisting  of  seven  iron-clad  gun-boats  and 
ten  mortar-boats.  He  was  joined  at  Columbus  on  the  same 
day  by  Colonel  Buford,  in  command  of  some  twelve  hundred 
troops,  and  reached  Hickman  that  evening  with  the  flotilla 
and  transports.  The  boilers  of  the  Louisville  were  here  found 
to  leak  badly,  and  she  was  sent  back  to  Columbus  for  repairs. 
We  continue  the  narrative  of  events  for  the  next  two  days  in 
the  flag-officer's  own  words,  in  his  report  to  the  Secretary  of 
the  Navy : 

"  On  the  15th  instant,  at  daylight,  the  flotilla  and  transports  moved 
down  the  riverr  arriving  in  the  vicinity  of  Island  No.  Ten  at  9  A.M. 
The  rain  and  dense  fog  prevented  our  getting  the  vessels  in  position, 
other  than  two  mortar-boats,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  their  range. 

"  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  16th  instant  I  placed  the  mortar-boats  in 
as  good  a  position  as  the  circumstances  would  admit,  when  they  shelled 
several  regiments  out  of  their  encampments,  and,  at  extreme  range, 
reached  the  batteries  on  No.  Ten,  the  floating  battery,  and  the  five  bat 
teries  on  the  Tennessee  shore.  The  mortar-boats  are  in  charge  of  Cap- 


Bombardment  of  Island  No.  Ten. 


267 


Army  of  Genl.Pope 

.  _A  A  M  A.A  AA  AA.Q  A  A 


tain  Maynard,  United  States  Army,  as  ordnance  officer,  assisted  by  Act 
ing  Lieutenant-Commanding  J.  P.  Sandford,  United  States  Navy,  who 
volunteered  his  services. 

"This  morning,  the  17th  instant,  soon  after  daylight,  the  mortar-boats 
being  in  position,  I  had  the  Bent&n  lashed  between  two  other  steamers — 
the  Cincinnati  and  the  8t.  Louis  —  and  with  the  remaining  iron-clad 
steamers  made  an  attack  on  the  forts,  at  a  distance  of  two  thousand 
yards  or  more,  on  account  of  the  rapid  current  rendering  the  boats  too 
unmanageable  to  come  within  a  shorter  range>  without  endangering  their 
being  carried  under  the  enemy's  guns,  and  as  a  nearer  approach  would 
expose  the  bows  and  quarters  of  the  vessels — their  most  vulnerable  points 
— to  a  fire  of  six  other  batteries,  mounting  forty-three  guns.  We  opened 
fire  on  the  upper  fort  on  the  Tennessee  shore  at  meridian,  and  continued 
to  give  and  receive  quite  a  brisk  fire  from  this  and  also  four  other  bat- 


268  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

teries  on  the  same  shore  until  darkness  obscured  the  forts  from  view. 
The  ten  mortars,  in  the  mean  time,  shelled  the  troops  out  of  range,  ex 
cepting  those  manning  the  batteries. 

"  The  upper  fort  was  badly  cut  up  by  the  Benton  and  the  other  boats 
with  her.  We  dismounted  one  of  their  guns,  and  the  men,  at  times,  ran 
from  the  batteries. 

"Colonel  Buford  has  been  busily  and  I  trust  profitably  engaged  in 
making  reconnoissances,  and  is  preparing  to  mount  his  siege-guns. 

*'  In  the  attack  of  to-day  this  vessel  (Benton}  received  four  shots,  while 
a  rifle-gun  burst  aboard  the  St.  Louis,  killing  and  wounding  fifteen,  offi 
cers  and  men.  I  inclose  a  list  of  casualties.  The  Cincinnati  has  had  her 
engines  injured,  which  may  render  it  necessary  for  me  to  send  her  to 
Cairo  for  repairs. 

"  I  hope  to  be  able  to  silence  the  upper  battery  to-morrow,  after  which 
•we  can  plant  the  mortars  in  a  position  where  we  expect  to  be  able  to 
shell  the  rebels  out  of  their  batteries.  The  place  is  even  stronger  and 
better  adapted  for  defense  than  Columbus  has  ever  been.  Each  fortifica 
tion  commands  the  one  above  it.  We  can  count  forty-nine  guns  in  the 
different  batteries,  where  there  are  probably  double  the  number,  with  ten 
thousand  troops. 

"  From  exhaustion,  arising  from  continuous  service  and  want  of  sleep, 
you  will  excuse  this  incoherent,  discursive  report. 

"  Our  shells  bursting  prematurely,  we  have  to  drown  them  before  load 
ing  the  guns.  The  fuses — many  of  which,  I  am  informed,  were  made  be 
fore  the  Mexican  War — ought  to  have  been  condemned." 

This  was  really  a  spirited  and  well-fought  engagement,  al 
though  it  resulted  in  nothing  definite.  The  Benton  was  fre 
quently  struck.  The  vessels  at  one  time  drew  quite  near  to 
the  batteries,  and  attacked  them  in  something  of  the  old  dash 
ing,  desperate  style,  although  this  method  could  not  possibly 
be  carried  out  under  the  circumstances,  since  the  boats  were 
really  not  adapted  to  fighting  in  the  strong  and  rapid  Missis 
sippi  ;  but  we  must  pause  a  moment  in  these  warlike  scenes  to 
take  notice  of  a  sorrowful  and  touching  event.  On  the  day 
(the  14th)  when  Commodore  Foote  set  forth  from  Cairo  in  all 
the  pomp  and  circumstance  of  his  numerous  and  powerful 
command  upon  his  expedition  against  Island  No.  Ten,  his  sec- 


Death  of  Son.  269 


ond  son,  William  Leffingwell,  died  at  his  father's  house  in 
New  Haven.  He  was  a  manly  and  promising  boy  of  thirteen 
years,  who  had  already  developed  noble  traits  of  character. 
He  had  been  ill  a  week,  and  but  a  few  days  before  he  was  the 
image  of  health — a  handsome,  rosy-cheeked  lad.  He  was  to 
his  father  as  the  apple  of  his  eye.  He  received  the  telegram 
of  his  son's  death  during  the  thick  of  the  battle.  The  follow 
ing  was  the  brief  telegram  to  his  wife,  sent  in  response  to  the 
sad  tidings,  and  the  telegram  was  received  in  New  Haven  on 
the  afternoon  of  the  17th : 

"  NEAR  ISLAND  No.  TEN. 

"  May  God  support  us.  The  shock  stuns  me  in  midst  of  fight.  Thy 
will  be  done  to  us  and  ours.  A.  H.  FOOTE." 

It  was  followed  by  this  letter,  written  a  day  or  two  after 
ward  : 

"'RENTON,'  OFF  No.  TEN,  March  19,  1862. 

"  MY  BEAR  WIFE, — I  know  how  you  feel ;  I  feel  it  all  myself.  I  want 
all  the  time  to  be  writing  to  you ;  still  I  know  that  our  dear  boy  has 
escaped  great  evil,  and  no  doubt  he  is  far  better  off  than  in  this  life ; 
but  Nature  mourns.  Let  us  have  consolation  in  our  bereavement.  I  do 
hope  it  will  be  the  means  of  doing  us  all  good,  and  making  us  live  near 
er  to  God.  It  is  all  right,  my  dear ;  for  God,  our  kind,  heavenly  Father, 
has  done  it,  and,  as  Sanford  said  yesterday,  *  You  ought,  flag-officer,  to 
rise  above  your  grief,  and  not  dwell  so  on  it.'  Nothing  but  a  death  in 
the  family  could  at  this  critical  moment,  when  so  much  is  upon  me,  so 
draw  off  my  mind  from  my  duties ;  it  shows  the  power  of  my  grief.  It 
is  much  on  your  account  I  so  feel ;  but  we  must  pray  to  God  that  he 
will  enable  us  to  submit  with  Christian  faith,  even  if  he  take  more  of  us 
away.  . 

"  We  are  not  making  much  progress,  firing  almost  beyond  the  enemy's 
range.  I  hope  to  have  General  Pope  here  soon  from  New  Madrid,  and 
attack  upon  the  rear  of  the  enemy.  This  place  is  stronger  than  Colum 
bus  in  all  respects ;  still,  if  we  can  get  General  Pope  here,  we  will  take 
it.  We  are  throwing  mortar-shells  into  the  forts  at  night,  which,  show 
ing  the  burning  fuse,  makes  a  beautiful  sight,  like  a  shooting  star  in  a 
parabola ;  but  how  little  do  I  enjoy  it,  or  any  thing  else !  I  feel  that 


270  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

Willie  is  better  off,  and  therefore  my  intense  feelings  must  in  a  good 
measure  be  sympathy  for  you. 

"  I  am  well  and  have  no  headache,  although  I  am  only  five  hours  in 
my  bed. 

"If  I  can  get  General  Pope's  army  here  in  a  week,  I  think  we  will 
have  a  grand  victory. 

"  Love  to  all,  kisses  for  children,  and  again  tell  our  dear  boy  Augustus 
to  love  and  fear  God,  and  believe  me,  as  always, 

"  Your  devoted  husband,  A.  H.  FOOTE. 

"  P.  S. — I  do  not  feel  myself  in  special  danger.  Still,  should  I  fall,  it 
will  be  in  a  holy  cause,  and  I  shall  die  content.  So  do  not  mourn  on  my 
account.  You  know  my  feelings.  I  have  never  kept  any  thing  from 
you,  and  God  will  provide  for  you  and  yours.  While  I  talk  thus,  I  do 
not  consider  myself  in  any  more  danger  than  I  have  been  before.  Still 
we  are  at  war,  and  I  am  under  fire.  Again  I  commend  you  all  to  God 
and  his  grace.  A.  H.  F." 

Death  and  Life — how  closely  are  their  black  and  gold 
threads  commingled !  At  the  very  time  when  he  received  the 
news  of  his  great  bereavement,  this  joint  resolution,  expressive 
of  the  thanks  of  Congress,  was  passed : 

(Public  Resolution,  No.  22.) 

"  Resolved  ~by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States 
of  America  in  Congress  assembled,  That  the  thanks  of  Congress  and  of  the 
American  people  are  due,  and  are  hereby  tendered  to  Captain  A.  H. 
Foote,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  and  to  the  officers  and  men  of  the 
Western  Flotilla  under  his  command,  for  the  great  gallantry  exhibited 
by  them  in  the  attacks  upon  forts  Henry  and  Donelson,  for  their  effi 
ciency  in  opening  the  Tennessee,  Cumberland,  and  Mississippi  rivers  to 
the  pursuits  of  lawful  commerce,  and  for  their  unwavering  devotion  to 
the  cause  of  the  country  in  the  midst  of  her  greatest  difficulties  and 
dangers. 

"Approved  March  19, 1862." 

While  this  resolution  was  under  consideration  by  the  Sen 
ate,  in  Committee  of  the  Whole,  Hon.  James  W.  Grimes,  Sen 
ator  from  Iowa,  made  a  speech,  in  which  he  elaborately  re 
viewed  the  origin,  history,  and  achievements  of  the  Western 


Speech  of  Senator  Grimes.  271 

Flotilla,  and  gave  the  credit  due  to  the  American  Navy  in  the 
war.     He  said : 

"  I  am  anxious  that  the  people  of  this  entire  country  may  feel  that  the 
exploits  of  the  Navy,  wherever  performed,  are  their  exploits,  that  its 
glory  is  their  glory,  and  that  while  they  are  taxing  themselves  to  sup 
port  it,  they  are  supporting  the  right  arm  of  the  National  defense.  I 
desire  the  citizen  of  the  most  remote  frontier  to  feel  that  he  is  equally 
protected  and  equally  honored  by  the  brave  deeds  of  our  naval'  officers 
with  the  citizen  of  the  Atlantic  coast.  I  wish  the  men  of  Iowa  and  Min 
nesota  to  know  that  they  are  as  effectually  defended  in  their  liberties  at 
home  and  in  their  honor  abroad,  by  the  achievements  of  Dupont  and 
Goldsborough  and  Stringham  and  Foote  on  the  water,  as  they  can  be  by 
any  victories  won  by  our  armies  on  the  land." 

Senator  Grimes  quoted,  with  strong  approval,  a  letter  fur 
nished  him  by  Senator  Wilson,  of  Massachusetts,  written  by  a 
gentleman  of  high  military  authority  at  the  West,  from  which 
this  is  an  extract : 

"  When  Fort  Henry  surrendered,  the  gate  was  opened  by  which  the 
rebellion  will  be  finally  and  utterly  crushed.  In  a  few  days  Commodore 
Foote  will  open  the  Mississippi,  provided  he  is  not  hampered,  and  also 
provided  he  is  properly  supported  by  government.  He  has  done  a  great 
work  for  his  country — a  work  which,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  has  not  been 
properly  appreciated.  He  has  improvised  a  navy  with  almost  insur 
mountable  obstacles  against  him.  I  see  it  stated  in  the  papers  that  the 
gun-boats  did  but  little  service  at  Donelson,  which  is  a  monstrous  mis 
take.  They  silenced  nearly  all  the  enemy's  guns,  and  had  not  the  wheel 
of  one  boat  and  the  tiller-ropes  of  another  been  shot  away,  in  fifteen 
minutes  more  the  batteries  would  have  been  flanked,  and  the  entire 
rebel  army  exposed  to  the  broadsides  of  the  fleet.  He  would  have 
mowed  them  clown  like  grass.  As  it  was,  he  made  the  work  of  the 
army  in  the  fight  of  Saturday  much  easier  than  it  otherwise  would  have 
been.  Several  of  the  Mississippi  officers  (prisoners)  informed  rne  that 
the  shells  of  the  gun-boats  had  a  demoralizing  effect  upon  their  men. 
The  Memphis  Appeal  says  it  dispirited  them. 

"  I  have  had  a  fair  opportunity  to  observe  the  operations  of  both 
Army  and  Navy,  and  I  can  say  with  emphasis  that  there  are  no  more 
self-denying,  patriotic,  hard-working,  faithful  men  than  the  flag-officer 


272  Life  of  A dmiral  Foote. 

and  his  captains  — Stembel,  Pennock,  Phelps,  and  others.  I  make  these 
statements  from  my  own  sense  of  justice  and  honor,  and  not  from  any 
man's  prompting  or  request." 

But  neither  public  praise  nor  private  sorrow  were  permitted  to 
interfere  for  one  moment  with  the  pressing  duties  of  the  hour. 

The  following  reports  continue  the  narrative  of  naval  oper 
ations  : 

"  FLAG-STEAMER  '  BENTON,'  OFF  ISLAND  No.  TEN,  ) 

March  19,  1862.  ) 

"SiR, — On  the  17th  instant  I  communicated  to  the  Department  an 
account  of  our  leaving  Cairo  for  the  purpose  of  attacking  Island  No. 
Ten,  and  expressing  the  hope  that  to-morrow  (yesterday)  we  should  be 
able  to  capture  the  upper  fort  at  this  point. 

"  Yesterday  we  were  firing  on  the  upper  fort  at  long  range,  reaching 
it  occasionally,  and  dismounted  another  gun,  while  the  mortars  were 
playing  on  the  lower  fortifications,  having  driven  the  encampments 
down  the  river,  just  out  of  range  of  our  shells.  As  the  forts  are  distinct 
from  each  other,  and  occupy  but  little  space,  and  have  been  mostly  con 
structed  for  four  or  five  months,  it  is  impossible  to  use  the  mortars  with 
as  much  effect  as  could  have  been  done  at  Columbus,  where  the  batteries 
were  more  compact  and  exposed,  and  the  troops  having  less  shelter  than 
here.  We  are,  however,  keeping  up  an  occasional  fire  day  and  night,  to 
prevent  the  enemy  from  repairing  his  damages,  gradually  approaching 
his  strongest  holds,  and  I  trust  we  will  be  able,  in  co-operation  with 
General  Pope's  army,  soon  to  get  possession  of  the  place.  This  position 
was  selected  by  the  rebels  on  account  of  its  being  inaccessible  by  land, 
in  a  high  stage  of  waters,  on  the  Missouri  side,  which  side  General 
Pope's  army  occupies  at  New  Madrid ;  and  he  has  no  transports  of  any 
kind  with  which  to  cross  over  to  the  Tennessee  side  and  march  in  upon 
the  rear  of  the  rebels.  I  have  this  morning  sent  him  two  tugs,  and  hope 
to  be  able  to  get  two  gun-boats  also  through  the  same  bayou  or  slough 
to  him.  If  we  can  do  this,  with  the  gun-boats  coming  up  and  attacking 
the  forts  from  below,  with  the  land  attack,  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  we 
shall  secure  a  complete  victory.  We  must  proceed  here  slowly  and  cau 
tiously,  which  alone  can  prove  effective,  especially  bearing  in  mind  the 
rapid  current  and  certainty  of  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  in 
these  slow  boats  if  we  run  as  close  to  the  batteries  as  we  might  do  were 
the  rebels  up  stream.  Colonel  Buford,  commanding  the  troops  here, 


Operations  at  Island  No.  Ten.  273 

amounting  to  about  fifteen  hundred,  will  be  ready  to  perform  all  service 
required  until  the  arrival  of  General  Pope  in  force.  We  shall  not  be 
able  to  make  the  grand  attack  for  several  days.  This  will  depend  upon 
the  arrival  of  General  Pope.  Your  obedient  servant, 

"  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 
"The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles,  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

"  FLAG-STEAMER  *  BENTON,'  OFF  ISLAND  No.  TEN,  ) 
March  20,  1862.  j 

"  SIR, — Most  of  the  iron-clad  steamers,  including  this  vessel,  are  still 
lying  within  long  range  of  the  rebel  forts,  and  occasionally,  with  the 
mortar-boats,  are  throwing  shells  into  the  enemy's  batteries,  which  have 
induced  them  to  withdraw  all  their  superfluous  men  not  required  for 
serving  their  guns.  To-day  the  upper  battery  opened  upon  us,  but  was 
silenced  in  half  an  hour,  this  ship  dismounting  a  gun.  I  send,  to-night, 
a  boat  to  sound  in  a  narrow  and  shallow  channel,  in  hopes  the  present 
rise  of  water  in  the  river  will  enable  me  to  dispatch  a  small  steamer  writh 
light  draught  to  General  Pope,  near  New  Madrid,  who,  as  I  have  already 
informed  the  Department,  has  several  times  requested  that  I  would  send 
him  two  or  three  gun-boats,  to  enable  him  to  cross  over  to  the  Tennessee 
side,  with  the  view  of  attacking  the  rebels  in  the  rear  at  this  point,  while 
we  make  the  attack  in  front  or  on  the  river  side.  I  am  apprehensive, 
however,  from  our  ill-success  thus  far,  that  this  project  may  not  prove 
feasible.  To-day,  for  the  first  time  since  I  have  been  in  command  of  the 
flotilla,  I  called  a  council  of  war,  with  the  view  of  ascertaining  the  opin 
ions  of  the  officers  with  reference  to  sending,  or  attempting  to  send,  aid 
to  General  Pope.  The  officers,  with  one  exception,  were  decidedly  op 
posed  to  running  the  blockade,  believing  it  would  result  in  the  almost 
certain  destruction  of  the  vessels  which  should  attempt  to  pass  the  six 
forts,  with  fifty  guns  bearing  upon  them.  I  have  been  seriously  dis 
posed  to  run  the  blockade  myself  with  this  vessel,  which  is  better  pro 
tected  than  the  other  boats,  although  she  is  slow,  and  works  sluggishly ; 
but,  upon  reconsideration,  as  her  loss  would  be  so  great  if  we  failed,  and 
my  personal  services  here  are  considered  so  important  with  the  fleet  and 
transports,  I  have,  for  the  present,  abandoned  the  idea. 

"  This  place  is  admirably  chosen  for  defense  by  the  rebels,  as  its  rear 
can  only  be  approached,  in  this  stage  of  water,  by  the  river  opposite 
New  Madrid,  it  being  surrounded  by  bayous  or  sloughs,  while  its  long 
line  of  six  forts,  commanding  one  another  from  the  river  front,  render  it 


2  74  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

almost  impregnable  from  an  attacking  force.  General  Pope  has  no 
transports,  and,  without  our  reaching  him  by  running  the  blockade,  is 
unable  to  cross  over  to  the  Tennessee  side  from  New  Madrid,  where  he 
now  is  in  force ;  and  it  is  impossible  for  him,  from  the  inundated  state 
of  the  country,  to  send  or  march  his  troops  to  this  point.  Were  we  to 
attempt  to  attack  these  heavy  batteries  with  the  gun-boats,  or  attempt 
to  run  the  blockade  and  fail,  as  I  have  already  stated  in  a  former  com 
munication,  the  rivers  above  us — Mississippi,  Ohio,  and  Cumberland — 
would  be  greatly  exposed,  not  only  frustrating  the  grand  object  of  the 
expedition,  but  exposing  our  towns  and  cities  bordering  those  rivers; 
especially  so  should  General  Pope  be  unable  to  hold  his  position  at  New 
Madrid.  Under  these  circumstances,  and  our  boats  being  so  ill  adapted 
to  fighting  down  the  river,  with  two  rifle-guns  having  burst  and  our 
shells  imperfect,  I  am  induced  to  act  with  great  caution,  and  expose  the 
flotilla  less  than  under  more  favorable  circumstances  it  would  be  my 
duty  to  do,  for  the  great  object  for  which  the  fleet  was  created.  For  the 
future,  in  the  absence  of  instructions  from  higher  authority,  I  shall  be 
governed  by  circumstances  as  they  may  arise.  When  the  object  of  run 
ning  the  blockade  becomes  adequate  to  the  risk,  I  shall  not  hesitate  to 
do  it.  The  place  may  be  occupied  by  us  in  a  short  time  without  an 
assault,  as  the  rebels  must  be  cut  off  from  their  necessary  supplies.  Still, 
if  this  do  not  soon  take  place,  it  may  become  necessary  to  force  the 
blockade,  or  adopt  some  other  measures  which  have  not  yet  suggested 
themselves.  Your  obedient  servant,  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 

«  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles,  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

Island  No.  Ten  was  a  hard  nut  to  crack,  giving  pause  to 
the  most  experienced  military  men.  It  was  a  characteristic 
sentence  in  the  last  of  the  above  reports,  "  When  the  object  of 
running  the  blockade  becomes  adequate  to  the  risk,  I  shall. not 
hesitate  to  do  it."  That  time — according  to  the  commodore, 
whether  he  erred  or  not  in  judgment — had  not  yet  arrived; 
but  it  could  not  for  a  moment  be  doubted  that,  whatever  the 
risk,  either  by  himself  or  by  a  subordinate  commander,  the 
thing,  when  he  thought  it  ought  to  be  done,  would  be  done. 

The  mortars  used  by  Foote  were  formidable  ordnance,  each 
carrying  a  shot  weighing  215  pounds,  and  itself  weighing 


The  Mortars.  275 


17,280  pounds.  It  was  a  13-inch  mortar — that  is,  it  would 
receive  a  bomb-shell  thirteen  inches  in  diameter.  The  boats 
were  firmly  moored  to  the  bank,  and  a  derrick  was  used  on 
shore  to  drop  the  immense  ball  into  the  mouth  of  the  mortar. 
Twenty-three  pounds  of  powder  were  required  for  a  charge, 
and  the  concussion  was  so  heavy  that  the  men  were  forced  to 
take  refuge  behind  the  timber  works  when  a  mortar  was  fired ; 
while  the  distance  was  so  great,  and  the  object  aimed  at  so 
comparatively  small,  that  the  slightest  disturbing  cause  was 
enough  to  destroy  the  accuracy  of  the  aim.  Nevertheless,  the 
bombardment  was  kept  up.  The  roar  and  hiss  of  the  heavy 
mortar-shells  were  heard  along  the  sombre  shores  of  the  river 
night  and  day.  Foote  did  not  come,  however,  to  close  en 
counter  with  the  forts,  and  kept  his  boats  in  good  trim,  not 
exposing  or  weakening  his  fleet,  because  he  learned  that  the 
rebels  had  a  force  of  thirteen  gun-boats,  independent  of  the 
five  below  New  Madrid,  arid  the  much-talked- of  Manassas  at 
Memphis.  They  might  come  up  at  any  moment,  and  dispute 
the  possession  of  the  Mississippi  above  Island  No.  Ten,  and  he 
thought  it  best  to  be  careful  of  his  boats.  General  Halleck, 
judging  from  the  following  dispatch,  seems  to  have  concurred 
in  this  opinion : 

"  HEAD-QUARTERS  OF  THE  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI,  ) 
ST.  Louis,  March  21, 1862.  ( 

"  SIR, — I  have  just  received  your  report  (without  date)  of  your  opera 
tions  against  the  enemy's  batteries  in  the  vicinity  of  Island  No.  Ten. 
While  I  am  certain  that  you  have  done  every  thing  that  could  be  done 
successfully  to  reduce  these  works,  I  am  very  glad  that  you  have  not  un 
necessarily  exposed  your  gun-boats.  If  they  had  been  disabled,  it  would 
have  been  a  most  serious  loss  to  us  in  the  future  operations  of  the  cam 
paign  ;  whereas  the  reduction  of  these  batteries,  this  week  or  next,  is  a 
matter  of  very  little  importance  indeed.  I  think  it  will  turn  out  in  the 
end  that  it  is  much  better  for  us  that  they  are  not  reduced  till  we  can 
fully  cut  off  the  retreat  of  their  troops. 

"  Every  thing  is  now  progressing  well  on  the  Tennessee  River  toward 

T 


276  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

opening  your  way  down  the  Mississippi.  The  reduction  of  these  works 
is  only  a  question  of  time,  and  we  are  in  no  hurry  on  that  point.  Noth 
ing  is  lost  by  a  little  delay  there.  I  am  directing  all  my  attention  now  to 
another  object,  and  when  that  is  accomplished  the  enemy  must  evacuate 
or  surrender.  Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  H.  W.  HALLECK,  Major-General  Commanding. 
"  Flag-Officer  Foote,  commanding  Naval  Forces." 

Foote  himself  came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  only  effectual 
way  of  taking  the  island  was  to  send  boats  and  transports  to 
General  Pope,  in  order  that  he  might  cross  the  river  from  be 
low,  and  attack  the  rebel  works  from  the  Tennessee  shore. 
But  how  to  get  them  to  him  was  the  question.  To  pass  the 
forts  was  generally  considered  impracticable.  Two  councils 
of  all  the  captains  of  the  fleet  were  called  together  by  Foote, 
and  they  voted  that  the  thing  was  too  hazardous.  This  plan 
therefore,  for  the  time,  was  abandoned.  The  other  plan  was 
to  send  boats  around  the  forts  and  island,  through  the  swamps 
on  the  western  side  of  the  Mississippi,  bringing  them  out  at 
New  Madrid.  He  thus  reports  concerning  this : 

"U.  S.  FLAG-SHIP  'BENTON,'  ISLAND  No.  TEN,  ) 
March  26, 1862.  j 

"  SIR, — Since  my  communication  of  the  20th  instant  we  have  been 
lying  off  the  forts  at  long  range,  occasionally  giving  a  rifle-shot,  and  more 
frequently  throwing  mortar-shells  upon  the  island  and  at  the  fortifica 
tions  on  the  Tennessee  shore.  The  rebels  still  hold  the  forts,  but  the  en 
campments  are  moved  beyond  range,  with  a  sufficient  number  of  men  to 
serve  their  heavy  guns,  which  seem  to  be  well  protected  from  our  shells 
by  their  breastworks.  A  communication  from  General  Halleck  (a  copy 
of  which  is  inclosed)  leads  me  to  hope  that  we  may  yet  derive  support 
from  the  Army,  irrespective  of  General  Pope's  force,  which  will  cross  over 
from  New  Madrid  and  attack  the  enemy  in  the  rear,  while  we  make  the 
attack  in  front,  in  case  we  succeed  in  getting  two  steamers  and  several 
cutters,  which  are  now  working  their  way  toward  that  point,  through  the 
bayous  or  sloughs.  Should  this  effort  be  successful,  I  hope  to  hear  that 
a  land  force  of  some  ten  thousand  men  will  be  in  the  rebels'  rear  in  the 
course  of  five  or  six  days.  With  the  exception  of  a  ridge  of  higher  land 


Operations  at  Island  No.  Ten.  277 

on  the  river  bank  of  the  Tennessee  side,  from  directly  opposite  New 
Madrid  to  nearly  opposite  Island  No.  Ten,  the  whole  country  is  inunda 
ted,  or  at  least  so  much  so  as  to  prevent  troops  from  other  points  reach 
ing  the  rebels'  rear,  showing  how  admirably  their  position  has  been 
chosen  for  defense. 

"  We  now  have  here  six  iron-plated  gun-boats,  one  wooden  gun-boat, 
the  Conestoga,  and  sixteen  mortar-boats ;  one  iron-clad  gun-boat  being  at 
Nashville,  one  guarding  Columbus  and  Hickman — the  two  wooden  boats 
up  the  Tennessee ;  while  the  Essex,  Commander  Porter,  is  repairing  at  St. 
Louis.  We  have  all  the  mortar-boats  we  can  use  to  any  advantage,  and 
still  want  two  tow-boats  for  these,  of  greater  force,  as  we  have  a  strong 
current,  requiring  the  greatest  vigilance  to  prevent  them  and  the  gun 
boats  from  being  carried  down  stream,  from  the  want  of  steam-power  of 
the  latter.  Colonel  Buford,  commanding  the  troops,  has  a  force  of  be 
tween  nineteen  hundred  and  two  thousand  men ;  but  who,  in  fact,  living, 
as  they  necessarily  do,  aboard  the  transports  —  the  banks  being  over 
flowed,  and  they  surrounded  by  water — can  not  accomplish  any  thing  of 
consequence.  Thus  we  are  waiting  to  open  communication  with  General 
Pope  at  New  Madrid. 

"  I  forward  herewith  a  copy  of  a  letter  sent  me  by  General  Strong, 
commanding  at  Cairo,  from  which  it  will  be  seen  that  the  rebels  have 
thirteen  gun-boats,  independent  of  the  five  below  New  Madrid,  and  the 
Manassas,  or  ram,  at  Memphis.  I  presume  that  these  boats  are  not  equal 
to  ours ;  still  we  have  no  means  of  ascertaining  their  character,  especially 
those  at  New  Orleans.  I  have  ordered  the  rifle-guns  as  they  arrive  at 
Cairo  to  be  sent  to  us,  as  our  rifles  are  unsafe,  and  must  be  condemned  as 
soon  as  others  can  be  supplied.  The  rifle-shells,  as  well  as  those  of  the 
8-inch  guns  and  thirty-twos,  also  burst  prematurely,  and  I  have  been 
obliged  to  drown  all  fuses  for  a  distance  exceeding  one  thousand  yards. 

"  I  shall  proceed  with  caution  in  our  work  here,  being  fully  aware  of 
our  disadvantages.  If,  however,  any  disaster  should  occur  from  circum 
stances  beyond  my  control,  I  have  ordered  the  two  iron-clad  gun-boats 
Cairo  and  Louisville,  with  the  wooden  boats  Taylor  and  Lexington,  to  meet 
at  Cairo,  or  as  far  down  as  Columbus,  and  even  Hickman,  to  prevent  the 
rebel  gun-boats  from  ascending  the  river  beyond  Cairo,  which  place  is 
now  so  nearly  overflowed  as  to  render  it  necessary  for  us  to  remove  all 
our  ammunition.  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  etc., 

"  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 

"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles." 


278  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

The  opening  of  the  canal,  fifty  feet  wide  and  twelve  miles 
long,  from  the  bend  of  the  Mississippi  near  Island  No.  Eight, 
across  the  neck  of  the  swampy  peninsula,  to  the  neighborhood 
of  New  Madrid,  was  the  joint  work  of  the  Army  and  Navy, 
and  was  one  of  the  most  energetic  and  remarkable  achieve 
ments  of  the  war.  It  was  actually  suggested  by  General 
Schuyler  Hamilton,  and  was  executed  in  the  space  of  about 
two  weeks,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Bissel.  Three 
fourths  of  a  mile  was  through  solid  earth,  and  six  miles  of  the 
way  was  hewn  through  a  dense  growth  of  heavy  timber, 
which  had  to  be  cut  off  in  some  places  four  feet  under  water. * 
Advantage  was  taken  of  narrow  channels  connecting  bayous, 
or  places  with  more  open  water,  and  near  New  Madrid  a  small 
stream  ran  down  from  the  swamp,  which  aided  the  enterprise ; 
but  it  was  a  herculean  task,  and  for  nineteen  days  soldiers  and 
sailors  worked  and  floundered  together  in  water  and  mud,  cut 
ting  down  and  dragging  out  trees  and  stumps,  with  capstans, 
saws,  and  axes.  Four  light  steamers  and  two  or  three  gun- 
barges  aided  them  in  this.  It  was  impracticable  to  make  a 
passage  deep  enough  for  the  great  gun-boats;  but,  after  in 
credible  labor,  the  canal  was  finished,  and  in  the  first  week  of 
April  a  small  fleet  of  light  steamers  and  transports,  gliding 
through  the  depths  of  a  Mississippi  forest,  reached  New  Mad 
rid,  with  the  almost  wild  rejoicings  of  the  troops  there.  In 
.ihe  mean  time,  on  the  1st  of  April,  a  gallant  feat  was  done  by 
a  boat  expedition  manned  by  seamen  of  the  Benton  and  four 
other  gun-boats,  with  fifty  soldiers,  the  whole  under  the  com 
mand  of  Colonel  George  W.  Roberts,  of  the  Second  Illinois 
Volunteers.  At  eleven  o'clock  at  night  they  started,  rowing 
softly,  and  hugging  the  eastern  shore  in  the  shadow.  They 
proceeded  to  the  upper  (Eucker's)  battery,  or  the  first  of  the 
seven  forts  on  the  Tennessee  shore,  and  as  they  approached 

*  Lossing's  "  Civil  War  in  America,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  244. 


Spiking  of  a  Rebel  Battery.  279 

within  thirty  feet  the  sentinels  perceived  them,  uttered  a  cry 
of  surprise,  fired,  and  fled.  The  alarm  was  also  communicated 
to  the  rebel  steamer  Grampus;  but  the  movements  of  the  in 
vaders  were  rapid ;  they  landed,  threw  out  a  detachment  of 
twenty  men  between  the  battery  and  the  rebel  camp,  and  pro 
ceeded  to  spike  the  guns,  which  they  did  successfully,  and  re 
turned  without  loss  to  the  fleet,  although  the  rebel  steamer 
was  already  bearing  down  upon  them.  This  shore-battery, 
consisting  of  eleven  guns,  one  of  them  a  10-inch  columbiad, 
was  one  of  the  most  formidable  batteries  of  the  enemy,  and 
was  so  situated  that  for  a  boat  to  run  by  it  it  must  pass  within 
three  hundred  yards  of  the  fort.  The  commodore  speaks  of 
this  expedition  in  a  letter  to  his  wife : 

"  FLAG-STEAMER  '  BENTON,'  OFF  ISLAND  No.  TEN',  ) 
April  2, 1862.  j 

"  MY  DEAR  WIFE,— The  mail  arrived  at  9  P.M.  last  night,  but  brought 
me  no  tidings  from  you,  which  leaves  me  in  a  feverish  state  of  excite 
ment,  as  your  letter  three  days  ago  spoke  of  your  own  and  the  children's 
illness.  The  Cmestoga  will  soon  be  down  with  the  mail,  and  I  pray  God 
that  the  news  from  you  may  be  good,  or  more  favorable. 

"  The  expedition  last  night  was  entirely  successful,  as  you  will  have 
heard  from  my  telegram  before  receiving  this.  We  have  spiked  all  the 
guns  in  No.  One,  or  the  first  fort  on  the  Tennessee  shore  above  No.  Ten. 
The  sentinels  fired  on  our  boats  and  ran,  while  our  men  jumped  from  the 
boats  into  the  fort  and  spiked  their  guns,  and  got  safely  off.  Just  as  they 
reached  this  vessel,  a  squall  of  thunder  and  lightning  of  the  most  terrific 
character  struck  us,  as  if  it  would  destroy  our  fleet;  but,  thank  God,  no 
serious  damage  has  been  done  except  to  two  steamers,  which  fouled  the 
Cincinnati.  The  rebels  are  firing  briskly  upon  us  this  morning,  which 
we  are  returning.  I  suppose  they  are  indignant  and  demoralized  some 
what  at  the  spiking  of  their  guns.  No  other  news.  I  will  write  more 
when  the  mail  comes.  In  the  mean  time,  rest  assured  that,  next  to  God, 
you  and  the  dear  children  are  in  my  thoughts.  I  send  from  a  rebel  pa 
per  a  good  piece,  which  you  must  apply  to  yourself  and  children.  I 
know  vou  will.  Sanford  is  in  my  cabin,  and  dines  with  us  to-day.  He 
is  in  tolerable  spirits.  We  all  feel  a  little  more  encouraged  from  putting 


280  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

to  rest  Fort  No.  One.  The  men  are  singing  psalin  tunes  near  the  cabin, 
but,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  I  hear  more  oaths  than  praises  among  them. 
Secretary  Scott  has  been  to  see  me  this  morning.  He,  as  well  as  Colo 
nel  Buford,  rather  urge  me  on  to  a  fight,  but  I  resist  and  am  cautious, 
and  they  have  great  confidence  in  my  judgment.  Read  the  rebel  slip, 
and  tell  me  if  you  do  not  fully  indorse  it,  come  what  will.  William  often 
expressed  Christian  sentiments.  I  will  add  a  word  if  the  mail  come  be 
fore  this  goes,  which  is  doubtful.  Affectionately,  A.  H.  F." 

One  of  the  obstacles  in  the  way  of  sending  a  gun-boat  down 
the  river  past  the  forts  was  removed,  and  another  formidable 
obstacle  was  the  next  day  also  done  away  by  the  destruction 
of  the  enemy's  floating  battery,  moored  at  the  head  of  the  isl 
and.  The  flag-officer  thus  speaks  of  it  in  his  dispatch  : 

"  CAIRO,  April  4, 1862. 

"  This  morning  the  Benton,  Cincinnati,  and  Pittsburg,  with  three  mor 
tar-boats,  opened,  and  continued  more  than  an  hour,  a  fire  on  the  rebels' 
heavy  floating  battery  at  Island  No.  Ten,  when  the  latter,  having  received 
several  shells  from  the  rifles  and  mortars,  cut  loose  from  her  moorings 
and  drifted  down  the  river  two  or  three  miles.  The  shells  were  thrown 
from  the  rifles  into  the  different  forts  of  the  island,  and  into  the  rebel 
batteries  lining  the  Tennessee  shore.  The  return  fire  produced  no  effect 
on  the  squadron.  No  more  men  than  were  actually  necessary  to  man  the 
batteries  were  visible.  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 

"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles,  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

Thus  the  flag-officer  was  gradually  feeling  his  way,  in  his 
own  method  and  time,  toward  making  the  move  which  should 
secure  the  capture  of  Island  No.  Ten.  It  is  true  that  General 
Pope,  waiting  unemployed  after  his  struggle  and  success  at 
New  Madrid,  began  to  be  extremely  impatient ;  it  is  true  that 
the  country  itself  began  to  think  that  it  was  time  for  the 
downfall  of  the  defiant  stronghold — the  key  of  the  Mississip 
pi,  as  it  was  considered ;  it  is  true  that  our  naval  Marcellus 
seemed  to  have  suddenly  become  a  very  Fabins  in  his  cau 
tion  ;  it  is  true  that  Farragut  had  turned  his  prow  up  stream 


Grown  Cautious.  281 

at  New  Orleans,  and  had  sent  word  that  he  would  meet  Foote 
coming  down  the  Mississippi;  yet  it  is  also  true  that  up  to 
this  point  Foote  (whether  he  erred  or  not  in  judgment)  did 
not  think  that  the  time  had  come  to  safely  try  the  last  experi 
ment,  to  make  the  grand  throw ;  and  it  is  also  true  that  what 
he  there  did,  and  at  the  time  he  did  it,  won  the  long-contested 
prize,  and  it  dropped  like  ripened  fruit  into  his  waiting  hand. 
It  is  not  impossible  that  the  desired  end  might  more  speedily 
have  been  attained  by  the  same  means  that  was  finally  em 
ployed — but  we  defer  the  account  of  the  completion  of  this 
hard  contest  to  another  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

CAPTURE    OF   ISLAND   NUMBER   TEN. 

FOOTE  was  now  waiting  for  a  favorable  moment,  or,  in  other 
words,  for  a  dark  night,  to  carry  out  the  plan,  of  the  necessity 
of  which  he  had  become  fully  convinced,  and  which  was  also 
earnestly  urged  by  General  Pope,  to  send  a  gun-boat  down 
past  the  batteries.  He  had  lessened  the  difficulties  of  the  feat 
by  silencing  the  rebels'  upper  and  floating  batteries ;  and  he 
had  issued  the  following  general  order  to  Commander  Walke, 
of  the  Carondelet : 

"  U.  S.  FLAG-STEAMER  '  BENTON,'  OFF  ISLAND  No.  TEN.  ] 
March  30, 1862.  j 

"  8m, — You  will  avail  yourself  of  the  first  fog  or  rainy  night,  and  drift 
your  steamer  down  past  the  batteries  on  the  Tennessee  shore  and  Island 
No.  Ten  until  you  reach  New  Madrid. 

"  I  assign  you  this  service,  as  it  is  vitally  important  to  the  capture  of 
this  place  that  a  gun-boat  should  soon  be  at  New  Madrid  for  the  pur 
pose  of  covering  General  Pope's  army  while  he  crosses  at  that  point  to 
the  opposite  shore,  or  to  the  Tennessee  side  of  the  river,  that  he  may 
move  his  army  up  to  Island  No.  Ten,  and  attack  the  rebels  in  rear  while 
we  attack  them  in  front. 

"  Should  you  succeed  in  reaching  General  Pope,  you  will  freely  confer 
with  him,  and  adopt  his  suggestions,  so  far  as  your  superior  knowledge 
of  what  your  boat  will  perform  and  enable  you  to  do,  for  the  purpose  of 
protecting  his  force  while  crossing  the  river. 

"  You  will  also,  if  you  have  coal,  and  the  current  of  the  river  will  per 
mit,  steam  up  the  river  while  the  army  moves,  for  the  purpose  of  attack 
ing  their  fortifications.  Still,  you  will  act  cautiously  here,  as  your  own 
will  be  the  only  boat  below. 

"You  will  capture  or  destroy  the  rebel  steam  gun-boat  Grampus  and 
the  transports,  if  possible,  between  this  place  and  Island  No.  Ten,  at  such 


Running  the  Blockade.  283 

time  as  will  not  embarrass  you  in  placing  yourself  in  communication  with 
General  Pope  at  the  earliest  possible  time  after  leaving  this  place. 

"  On  this  delicate  and  somewhat  hazardous  service  to  which  I  assign 
you,  I  must  enjoin  upon  you  the  importance  of  keeping  your  lights  se 
creted  in  the  hold  or  put  out,  keeping  your  officers  and  men  from  speak 
ing  above  a  whisper  when  passing  the  forts,  and  then  only  on  duty;  and 
of  using  every  other  precaution  to  prevent  the  rebels  suspecting  that  you 
are  dropping  below  their  batteries. 

"  If  you  successfully  perform  the  duty  assigned  you,  which  you  so 
willingly  undertake,  it  will  reflect  the  highest  credit  upon  you  and  all 
belonging  to  your  vessel ;  and  I  doubt  not  but  that  the  government  will 
fully  appreciate  and  reward  you  for  a  service  which,  I  trust,  will  enable 
the  army  to  cross  the  river  and  make  a  successful  attack  in  rear  while 
we  storm  the  batteries  in  front. 

"  Commending  you  and  all  who  compose  your  command  to  the  care 
and  protection  of  God,  who  rules-  and  directs  all  things,  I  am,  respect 
fully,  your  obedient  servant,  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 

"  Commander  H.  "Walke,  commanding  Octrondelet. 

"  P.  S. — Should  you  meet  with  disaster,  you  will,  as  a  last  resort,  de 
stroy  the  steam  machinery  ;  and,  if  impossible  to  escape,  set  fire  to  your 
gun-boat  or  sink  her,  and  prevent  her  from  falling  into  the  hands  of  the 
rebels.  A.  H.  F." 

After  comparing  together  many  accounts,  both  official  and 
private,  and  after  personal  conversation  with  Admiral  Walke, 
the  chief  actor  in  the  scene,  we  have  thought  that  all  the  facts 
and  features  of  this  extraordinary  passage  of  the  Carondelet 
are  so  accurately  and  graphically  given  in  the  following  nar 
rative  that  we  could  not  do  better  than  to  transfer  it  in  ex- 
tenso  into  our  pages : 

"  On  the  morning  of  the  4th  of  April  preparations  were  begun  for  exe 
cuting  the  above  order,*  should  the  state  of  the  weather  permit.  The 
deck  was  defended  somewhat  against  plunging  shot  by  planks  stripped 
from  the  wreck  of  an  old  barge.  All  surplus  chains  were  coiled  over 
the  most  vulnerable  parts  of  the  boat — a  device  employed  soon  after  at 
New  Orleans  on  a  larger  scale.  A  very  large  hawser  (11-inch)  was  wound 

*  The  order  referred  to  is  the  one  which  has  just  preceded. 


284  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

around  the  pilot-house  as  high  as  the  windows;  the  hammocks  were 
stowed  in  the  nettings;  and,  for  greater  security  still,  cord -wood  was 
piled  up  around  the  boilers  on  the  exposed  side ;  and  every  other  pre 
caution  that  ingenuity  could  suggest  was  used  to  render  the  boat  safe 
during  her  short  but  perilous  voyage.  Each  changing  aspect  of  the 
heavens  was  anxiously  studied  during  the  day,  for  in  a  bright,  clear 
night  the  passage  would  have  been  nearly  as  dangerous  as  at  midday ; 
and  the  moon  was  at  a  stage  when  her  light  would  have  revealed  the 
boat  as  fully,  for  every  purpose  of  the  rebel  gunners,  as  the  sun  itself. 

"  Late  in  the  afternoon  there  was  every  prospect  of  a  clear,  moonlight 
night,  and  it  was  determined  to  wait  until  the  moon  was  down,  and  then 
to  make  the  attempt,  whatever  the  prospect  might  be,  because,  after  such 
extensive  preparations  had  been  made,  the  moral  effect  of  abandoning 
the  scheme  would  be  nearly  equal  to  a  failure.  At  sundown,  however, 
there  were  signs  of  an  approaching  change  in  the  weather.  A  haze  be 
gan  to  spread  itself  over  the  more  distant  scene,  and  to  creep  along  the 
river.  The  wind  shifted,  and,  as  evening  drew  on,  dark  clouds,  indi 
cating  a  thunder-storm,  began  to  lift  themselves  above  the  northwestern 
horizon.  The  precautions  adopted  were  very  minute,  and  the  orders  for 
observing  them  were  positive  and  strict.  No  lights  were  to  be  allowed 
where  they  could  be  visible ;  the  guns  were  all  run  in,  and  the  ports 
were  closed.  The  sailors  were  all  heavily  armed ;  pistols,  cutlasses,  mus 
kets,  and  boarding-pikes  were  within  reach  on  all  sides  or  in  hand,  on 
the  supposition  that,  if  the  vessel  should  be  partially  disabled,  there 
would  be  an  attempt  to  capture  her  by  boarding.  Hand-grenades  were 
provided,  and  hose  was  attached  to  the  boilers  for  throwing  scalding  wa 
ter  over  any  who  might  attempt  to  board. 

"  It  was  decided  to  sink  the  boat  rather  than  burn  her,  if  it  should 
be  found  impossible  to  save  her,  because  the  loss  of  life  would  probably 
be  very  great  by  the  explosion  of  her  magazine.  At  dusk,  twenty 
sharpshooters  came  on  board  from  the  Forty-second  Illinois  Regiment, 
under  Captain  Hollenstein.  At  eight  o'clock  the  gun-boat  went  up  the 
river  about  a  mile  for  a  barge  containing  baled  hay,  which  was  to  be 
lashed  to  the  exposed  side.  One  course  of  bales  was  laid  over  the  stern 
casemates,  as  these  would  be  exposed  for  a  long  distance  after  the  bat 
teries  had  been  passed.  The  barge  and  the  piled  hay  reached  as  high  as 
the  broadside  port-holes ;  but  as  the  batteries  on  shore  were  some  twenty 
feet  above  water,  the  protection  thus  given  was  not  very  important. 

"  At  ten  o'clock  the  moon  had  gone  down,  and  the  sky,  the  earth,  and 


Running  the  Blockade.  285 

the  river  were  alike  hidden  in  the  black  shadow  of  the  thunder-storm 
which  had  now  spread  itself  over  all  the  heavens.  The  time  seemed  most 
opportune  for  starting:  the  order  was  given, the  lines  cast  off,  and, with 
her  barge  of  hay  on  one  side,  and  another  with  coal  on  the  starboard  side, 
the  gun-boat  rounded  out  heavily  and  slowly,  and  laid  her  course  down 
the  river.  In  order  to  avoid  the  puffing  sound  of  the  high-pressure  en 
gine,  the  escape-steam  was  led  into  the  wheel-house,  where  its  harsh  voice 
was  muffled — a  device  which  probably  led  to  their  discovery  by  the  fire 
from  the  chimneys.  For  half  a  mile  every  thing  went  smoothly  and 
quietly,  and  all  thought  they  might  succeed  in  passing  the  batteries  un 
observed,  when  suddenly  a  bright,  steady  flame  rose  several  feet  high 
from  each  chimney-top,  and  for  a  moment  it  seemed  as  if  the  steamer 
was  carrying  aloft  two  immense  torches  to  light  her  on  her  way.  Her 
upper  decks  and  all  about  her  brightened  for  a  moment  in  the  red  glare. 
Strange  as  it  may  appear,  what  was  deemed  by  all  a  serious  accident, 
which  would  bring  upon  them  at  once  the  enemy's  fire,  created  no  move 
ment  in  the  rebel  batteries.  When  nearly  opposite  the  upper  fort  the 
chimneys  again  took  fire,  and  at  once  the  sentinels  there  gave  the  alarm 
to  the  fort  below  by  firing  their  muskets. 

"  Signal-rockets  were  sent  up  both  from  the  mainland  and  the  island, 
and  a  cannon-shot  came  from  Fort  No.  Two.  It  was  evident  that  the 
alarm  was  now  thoroughly  given.  Not. a  shot,  however,  came  from  the 
upper  battery — a  fact  which  showed  how  thoroughly  its  dangerous  guns 
had  been  silenced,  by  the  party  that  had  landed  and  spiked  them.*  This, 
and  the  drifting  away  of  the  floating  battery,  had  had  very  much  to  do 
with  the  safety  of  the  Carondelet. 

"  But  one  course  was  now  possible  for  the  officers  of  the  gun-boat. 
The  vessel  was  at  once  put  under  full  head  of  steam,  and  was  urged  down 
the  river  at  her  utmost  speed,  for  the  rebels  were  now  making  swift  prep 
arations  at  every  gun  that  could  be  brought  to  bear.  The  storm  was 
then  at  its  height ;  and  its  fearful  character,  which  would  have  been 
thought  dangerous  at  any  other  time,  was  welcomed  as  increasing  the 
chances  of  escape.  The  darkness  was  so  intense  as  to  shut  out  earth  and 
heaven  alike,  except  as  lighted  momentarily  by  the  lightning's  glare. 
The  gleam  and  roar  of  the  guns  of  the  batteries  could  scarcely  be  dis- 

*  This  is  not  entirely  correct,  as  it  is  known  that  Fort  No.  One  fired 
shots  within  twenty-four  hours  after  the  spiking,  and  fired  at  the  boat 
this  night. 


286  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

tinguished  from  the  flash  and  the  thunder  of  the  cloud.  The  fires  of 
heaven  and  earth  were  mingled,  and  none  could  tell  whether  the  deck 
were  shaken  by  the  explosion  above  or  the  cannon  below.  The  rain  fell 
in  the  sweeping  torrents  of  a  summer  shower.  Shot  and  shell,  and  rule 
and  musket  balls,  sang  and  shrieked  and  roared  around  so  as  to  be  heard 
above  the  storm.  Each  flash  of  lightning  revealed  the  rebels  loading, 
training,  and  firing  their  guns  as  the  boat  came  within  range.  The 
steamer  also  was  disclosed  for  a  moment ;  but  as  she  was  moving  swiftly 
with  the  current,  it  was  nearly  impossible  to  get  her  range ;  it  was  evi 
dent  that  what  is  called  a  chance  shot  would  strike  her.  Most  of  the 
balls  and  shells  flew  high  above  her,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  alterna 
tions  of  light  and  darkness  were  so  rapid  as  to  deceive  the  enemy's  gun 
ners  as  to  the  gun-boat's  position.  She  was  much  nearer  to  them  than 
they  supposed,  and  they  fired  at  a  wrong  elevation.  The  boat  was  guided 
as  close  along  the  bank  as  she  could  safely  run — where,  indeed,  it  would 
have  been  difficult  to  depress  their  guns  so  as  to  strike  her,  even  had  she 
been  plainly  seen.  At  this  point  their  greatest  danger  was  not  from  the 
rebel  batteries :  the  current  was  not  only  rapid,  but  shifted  from  side  to 
side  with  the  sharp  curve  of  the  stream ;  and  bars  also  ran  out  from 
either  shore.  The  intense  darkness  prevented  the  pilots  from  knowing 
the  exact  position  of  the  boat ;  and  the  pilots  learned  their  position  only 
as  they  caught  glimpses  of  the  shore  by  the  flashes  of  lightning.  On  the 
forecastle  the  lead  was  kept  going,  and  the  depth  of  water  was  constantly 
reported.  It  contributed  largely  to  the  steamer's  safety  that  she  had  on 
board  Captain  Hoel,  first-master  of  the  Cincinnati,  who  had  been  engaged 
in  navigating  the  Mississippi  for  more  than  twenty  years.  This  gentle 
man  stood  on  the  deck,  exposed  to  the  double  torrent  of  rain  and  bul 
lets  ;  and,  watching  for  each  momentary  revelation  which  the  lightning 
made,  gave  directions  for  steering  the  boat.  The  gleams  of  lightning, 
the  momentary  report  of  the  soundings,  and  his  intimate  knowledge  of 
localities,  enabled  Captain  Hoel  to  judge  correctly,  in  the  main,  of  the 
gun-boat's  position.  Once,  however,  during  the  passage  she  was  in  great 
danger  of  being  lost.  The  steamboat  and  her  barges,  of  course,  presented 
a  very  large  surface  to  the  current,  and  this  gave  her  occasionally  a  heavy 
sheer.  In  the  darkness  and  the  blinding  rush  of  the  storm  this  was 
not  always  on  the  instant  noticed.  Caught  in  this  manner  by  the  swift 
stream,  she  was  drifting  toward  a  dangerous  bar,  where  she  would  have 
grounded  under  the  guns  of  the  batteries,  when  a  broad  flash  lit  up  the 
river  a  moment,  followed  instantly  by  the  sharp,  repeated  command, 


Running  the  Blockade.  287 

4  Hard  a-port !'  and  she  obeyed  her  helm,  and  regained  the  current  just 
in  season  to  save  her. 

"  Contrary  to  expectation,  they  found  no  battery  at  the  foot  of  the  isl 
and,  where  it  was  reported  that  one  of  the  long-range  guns  had  been 
planted.  The  floating  battery,  which  had  drifted  from  its  moorings  at 
the  head  of  the  island,  was  three  miles  below,  and  this  remained  to  be 
passed.  As  the  Carondelet  was  not  in  a  fighting  trim,  she  kept  close  to 
the  Missouri  shore,  the  battery  firing  only  a  few  harmless  shots  as  she 
passed ;  and  then  the  peril  of  the  passage  was  over,  and  exulting  shouts 
burst  from  the  crew  and  the  soldiers;  and  the  signal-guns  were  fired 
announcing  their  safety  to  the  fleet  above ;  and  soon  the  gun-boat  round 
ed  to  at  New  Madrid,  welcomed  by  bonfires  and  every  possible  exhi 
bition  of  joy.  All  felt  that  the  fate  of  Island  No.  Ten  at  length  was 
sealed.  In  rounding  to,  a  slight  accident  occurred,  through  a  misun 
derstanding  of  an  order  by  the  engineer,  and  the  boat  was  run  hard 
aground ;  but  after  an  hour  of  effort,  by  shifting  some  of  the  bow  guns 
to  the  stern  and  bringing  all  the  men  aft,  she  was  safely  backed  off,  and 
the  perilous  voyage  was  over  at  1  A.M."* 

Foote  sent  the  following  dispatch  to  Pope : 

"  U.  S.  FLAG-SHIP  '  BENTON,'  OFF  ISLAND  No.  TEN,  ) 
April  ^  1862.  ) 

"  GENEEAL,  —  The  gun  -  boat  Carondelet,  Commander  Walke,  left  her 
anchorage  this  evening  at  ten  o'clock,  in  a  heavy  thunder-storm,  for  the 
purpose  of  running  the  fire  of  the  batteries  on  Island  No.  Ten  and  those 
lining  the  Tennessee  shore,  to  join  your  forces  at  New  Madrid.  By  a 
previous  concerted  signal  of  three  minute-guns,  twice  fired  at  intervals 
of  five  minutes,  which  have  since  been  heard,  as  near  as  the  heavy  thun 
der  would  enable  us  to  ascertain,  leads  me  to  hope  that  the  blockade  has 
been  run  successfully,  although  the  batteries  opened  upon  her  with  forty- 
seven  guns  while  passing. 

"  I  am,  therefore,  so  exceedingly  anxious  to  hear  the  fate  of  the  noble 
officers  and  men  who  were  so  readily  disposed  to  attempt  the  hazardous 
service,  that  I  beg  you  will  immediately  inform  me  by  bearer  if  Com 
mander  Walke  have  arrived  with  his  vessel,  and  the  condition  in  which 
you  find  her  and  her  ofiicers  and  men.  I  am,  respectfully,  your  obedient 
servant,  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 

"  Major-General  Pope,  commanding  Army  at  New  Madrid,  Mo." 

*  Boynton's  "Hist,  of  the  Navy  during  the  Rebellion,"  vol.  i.,  p.  549  seq. 


288  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

General  Pope  at  once  answered  this,  and  accompanied  his 
answer  with  a  strong  request  that  another  gun-boat  should 
be  sent  down  to  guard  the  transports  in  conveying  over  the 
troops,  which  request  was  complied  with  by  the  Pittsburgh 
running  the  batteries  and  the  fire  of  seventy-three  guns  on  the 
night  of  the  6th,  also  in  a  heavy  thunder-storm.  Commander 
Walke's  dispatch  to  his  flag-officer  relative  to  the  Carondeletfs 
achievement  was  as  follows : 

"  U.  S.  GUN-BOAT  '  CARONDELET,'  NEW  MADRID,  ) 
April  5,  1862.  j 

"  SIR, — I  have  the  honor  to  report  my  arrival  here  last  night  about 
one  o'clock — all  well.  On  our  way  all  of  the  rebel  batteries  and  a  large 
number  of  infantry  opened  fire  upon  us,  which  was  continued  until  we 
were  out  of  range.  Providentially,  no  damage  was  done  to  the  vessel  or 
the  officers  and  crew,  who  conducted  themselves  with  admirable  courage 
and  fidelity.  The  terrible  storm  which  prevailed  at  the  time  rendered  it 
impossible  to  make  any  reliable  observation. 

"  Most  respectfully,  sir,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  H.  WALKE,  Commander  U.  S.  Navy. 
"  Flag-Officer  A.  H.  Foote,  commanding  U.  S.  ) 
Naval  Forces,  Western  Waters."  ) 

In  a  letter  to  his  wife  at  this  time,  the  running  of  the  Pitts- 
burg  past  the  batteries  is  spoken  of  by  Commodore  Foote : 
"FLAG-STEAMER  'BENTON,'  April  7,  1862. 

"MY  DEAR  WIFE, — 'Anxious  night,'  as  Dr. used  to  say  when 

he  charged  five  dollars  for  his  visit.  Commander  Thompson,  whom 
you  well  know,  ran  the  blockade  last  night  in  a  heavy  thunder-storm 
with  the  Pittsburg,  under  a  fire  of  seventy-three  heavy  guns.  We  don't 
know  yet  whether  he  is  hurt  vitally  or  not ;  but  the  scene  was  terrific 
and  grand,  as  you  may  imagine.  At  two  A.M.  Thompson  started,  and 
we  could  only  see  him  as  the  lightning  flashed.  I  am  anxious  to  hear 
from  him,  though  I  slept  well.  A  terrible  cannonading  is  going  on 
near  New  Madrid,  caused,  no  doubt,  by  Walke  and  Thompson  fighting 
the  rebel  batteries  where  General  Pope  must  land  to  get  here.  They 
will  prove  too  much  for  the  rebels  in  my  opinion.  Thus  we  go  ahead 
slowly,  and  God  grant  that  we  soon  may  take  No.  Ten,  and  all  in  and 


Surrender  of  Island  No.  Ten.  289 

around  it.  The  crisis  is  close  at  hand,  and  we  are  anxious  to  meet  after 
this  long^  suspense.  My  foot  is  statu  quo.  A  chronic  tenderness  and 
swelling,  uncomfortable  up  to  the  knee  at  times.  I  have  no  apprehen 
sion  of  a  serious  result ;  but  it  greatly  impairs  my  activity  and  efficiency, 
as  I  can  not  inspect  the  steamers  or  make  alterations.  Still,  we  must 
submit  to  all  that  God  sends  us. 

"  I  have  a  great  deal  of  writing  to  do,  and  much  in  the  way  of  grant 
ing  interviews  and  giving  orders,  which,  as  I  trust  nobody  else  to  do, 
you  will  excuse  my  short  and  hurried  letters.  I  will  add,  if  any  thing 
corne  up  before  mail.  I  write  you,  and  have  done  so  for  ten  or  twenty 
days,  every  day.  Do  you  get  all  my  letters  ?  I  send  some  of  Prentice's 
criticisms  in  the  Louisville  Journal. 

"  Mail  ready.        Very  affectionately,  with  kisses  and  love  to  all, 

"A.  H.  FOOTE." 

On  the  7th,  in  the  morning,  the  two  gnn-boats  that  had  run 
the  batteries  went  down  the  river  and  attacked  and  silenced 
the  enemy's  field-guns  that  had  been  stationed  to  prevent  the 
crossing  of  the  land  forces.  Thereupon  the  transports  with 
the  troops  immediately  prepared  to  cross  the  river;  but  be 
fore  this  was  accomplished,  the  rebels  saw  that  their  works 
were  rendered  defenseless,  and  they  commenced  abandoning 
the  batteries  along  the  Tennessee  and  Kentucky  shores  that 
Foote  was  on  the  point  of  attacking  with  a  grand  assault  in 
co-operation  with  the  Army.  Equal  consternation  prevailed 
at  Island  No.  Ten ;  and  at  twenty-five  minutes  past  three  on 
the  morning  of  the  7th  of  April  a  flag  of  truce  came  to  Com 
modore  Foote,  surrendering  to  him  the  island.  The  surrender 
was  made  even  before  the  news  had  arrived  at  the  island  of 
the  silencing  of  the  field-guns  below,  and  the  crossing  of  Gen 
eral  Pope's  army  to  the  Tennessee  side.  Pope's  forces,  as 
soon  as  they  were  landed,  were  marched  toward  Tiptonville, 
to  intercept  the  rebels  retreating  from  the  batteries  and  from 
Island  No.  Ten.  They  were  successful  in  this,  and  drove  the 
fleeing  enemy  into  the  swamps,  and  on  the  8th  made  them 
prisoners  in  large  numbers,  but  few  escaping.  Thus,  although 

U 


290  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 


the  Army  and  Navy  were  co-operative  in  the  capture  of  this 
important  stronghold,  and  both  were  essential  to  this  end, 
Island  No.  Ten  was  at  the  last  actually  surrendered  to  the 
gun-boats.  The  following  are  Flag-Officer  Foote's  official  re 
ports  of  the  event  : 

"  FLAG-STEAMER  '  BENTON,'  OFF  ISLAND  No.  TEN,  ) 
April  8—1  A.M.  j 

"  My  telegram,  three  hours  since,  informed  the  Department  that  Island 
No.  Ten  had  surrendered  to  the  gun-boats.  Captain  Phelps  has  this  in 
stant  returned,  after  having  had  an  interview  with  the  late  commandant. 
I  have  requested  General  Buford,  commanding  the  troops,  to  proceed 
immediately,  in  company  with  two  of  the  gun-boats,  and  take  possession 
of  the  island.  The  batteries  on  the  Tennessee  shore  have  been  hastily 
evacuated,  where  we  shall  find,  no  doubt,  in  the  morning,  large  quanti 
ties  of  munitions  of  war. 

"  I  communicate  with  General  Pope,  Nwho  has,  under  cover  of  the  two 
gun-boats  which  gallantly  ran  the  blockade,  crossed  the  river  in  force, 
and  was  ready,  as  well  as  the  gun  and  mortar  boats,  with  General  Bu 
ford  and  his  troops,  to  make  .a  simultaneous  attack  upon  the  rebels,  had 
they  not  so  hastily  evacuated  the  Tennessee  shore  and  surrendered  Island 
No.  Ten.  A  full  report  will  be  made  as  ;soon  as  we  can  obtain  possession 
of  the  land-batteries,  and  I  am  able  to  communicate  with  General  Pope. 

"  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 

"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles,  Secretary  -of  the  Navy." 


BENTON,'  ISLAND  No.  TEN,  ) 
April  8,  1862  (via  Cairo).  f 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  the  Department  that  since  I  sent  the  tele 
gram  last  night  announcing  the  surrender  to  me  of  Island  No.  Ten,  pos 
session  has  been  taken  of  both  the  island  and  the  works  upon  the  Ten 
nessee  shore  by  the  gun-boats  and  the  troops  under  command  of  General 
Buford.  Seventeen  officers  and  three  hundred  and  sixty-eight  privates, 
besides  one  hundred  of  their  sick  and  one  hundred  men  employed  on 
board  the  transports,  are  in  our  hands,  unconditional  prisoners  of  war. 

"  I  have  caused  a  hasty  examination  to  be  made  of  the  forts,  batteries, 
and  munitions  of  war  captured.  There  are  eleven  earthworks,  with  sev 
enty  heavy  cannon,  varying  in  calibre  from  32  to  100  pounders,  rifled. 
The  magazines  are  well  supplied  with  powder,  and  there  are  large  quan- 


Official  Correspondence.  291 

titles  of  shot,  shells,  and  other  munitions  of  war,  and  also  great  quanti 
ties  of  provisions.  Four  steamers  afloat  have  fallen  into  our  hands,  and 
two  others,  with  the  rebel  gun-boat  Grampus,  are  sunk,  but  will  be  easily 
raised.  The  floating  battery  of  sixteen  heavy  guns,  turned  adrift  by 
the  rebels,  is  said  to  be  lying  on  the  Missouri  shore  below  New  Madrid. 
Two  wharf-boats,  loaded  with  provisions,  are  also  in  our  possession. 

"  The  enemy  upon  the  mainland  appears  to  have  fled  with  great  pre 
cipitation  after  dark  last  night,  leaving,  in  many  cases,  half-prepared 
meals  in  their  quarters;  and  there  seems  to  have  been  no  concert  of 
action  between  the  rebels  upon  the  island  and  those  occupying  the 
shore;  but  the  latter  fled,  leaving  the  former  to  their  fate.  These 
works,  erected  with  the  highest  engineering  skill,  are  of  great  strength, 
and,  with  their  natural  advantages,  would  have  been  impregnable  if  de 
fended  by  men  fighting  in  a  better  cause. 

"  A  combined  attack  of  the  naval  and  land  forces  would  have  taken 
place  this  afternoon  or  to-morrow  morning  had  not  the  rebels  aban 
doned  this  stronghold.  To  mature  these  plans  of  attack,  absolutely  re 
quired  the  last  twenty-three  days  of  preparation.  General  Pope  is  mo 
mentarily  expected  to  arrive  with  his  army  at  this  point,  he  having  suc 
cessfully  crossed  the  river  yesterday  under  a  heavy  fire,  which,  no  doubt, 
led  to  the  hasty  abandonment  of  the  works  last  night.  I  am  unofficially 
informed  that  the  two  gun-boats  which  so  gallantly  ran  the  fire  of  the 
rebel  batteries  a  few  nights  since,  yesterday  attacked  and  reduced  a  fort 
of  the  enemy  opposite,  mounting  eight  heavy  guns. 

"  I  am,  sir,  respectfully,  etc., 

"A.  H.  FOOTE, 
"  Flag-Officer,  commanding  Naval  Forces,  Western  Waters. 

"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles,  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

In  regard  to  the  operations  below  the  island  of  the  two 
gun-boats,  the  Carondelet  and  the  Pittsburg,  that  were  so 
effective  in  the  final  result,  this  is  the  commodore's  report : 

"  U.  S.  FLAG-STEAMER  *  BENTON,'  OFF  ISLAND  No.  TEN,  ) 
April  11,  1862.  j 

«  gIRi I  have  the  honor  to  inclose  a  report  from  Commander  Walke, 

of  the  gun-boat  Carondelet,  detailing  the  services  rendered  by  him  and 
the  Pittsburg,  Lieutenant  -  Commanding  Thompson,  in  the  vicinity  of 
New  Madrid,  from  which  it  will  be  seen  that  the  boats  opened  upon  and 


292  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

effectually  silenced  and  captured  several  heavy  batteries  on  the  Tennes 
see  side  of  the  river,  on  the  6th  and  7th  instant,  without  which  destruc 
tion  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  General  Pope  to  have  crossed  the 
river  for  the  purpose  of  attacking  the  rebels  in  the  rear  at  Island  No. 
Ten,  while  the  gun  and  mortar  boats  would  make  the  attack  in  front. 

"There  has  been  an  effective  and  harmonious  co-operation  between 
the  land  and  naval  forces,  which  has,  under  Providence,  led  to  the  glo 
rious  result  of  the  fall  of  this  stronghold,  Island  No.  Ten,  with  the  gar 
rison  and  munitions  of  war ;  and  I  regret  to  see  in  the  dispatches  of 
Major-General  Halleck,  from  St.  Louis,  no  reference  is  made  to  the  capt 
ure  of  forts,  and  the  continuous  shelling  of  gun  and  mortar  boats,  and 
the  Navy's  receiving  the  surrender  of  Island  No.  Ten,  when,  in  reality,  it 
should  be  recorded  as  an  historical  fact  that  both  services  equally  con 
tributed  to  the  victory  —  a  bloodless  victory  —  more  creditable  to  hu 
manity  than  if  thousands  had  been  slain. 

"  I  also  inclose  reports  from  Lieutenants-Commanding  Gwin  and  Shirk, 
of  the  gun-boats  Taylor  and  Lexington,  on  the  Tennessee,  giving  a  graphic 
account  of  that  great  battle,  and  the  assistance  rendered  by  these  boats 
near  Pittsburg ;  stating  that  '  when  the  left  wing  of  our  army  was  being 
driven  into  the  river,  at  short  range,  they  opened  fire  upon  the  enemy, 
silencing  them,  and,  as  I  hear  from  many  army  officers  who  were  on  the 
field,  totally  demoralizing  their  forces,  and  driving  them  from  their  posi 
tion  in  a  perfect  rout  in  the  space  often  minutes.' 

"These  officers  and  men,  as  well  as  those  of  the  CarondeUt  and  Pitts- 
burg,  behaved  with  a  degree  of  gallantry  highly  creditable  to  themselves 
and  the  Navy. 

"I  proceed  to-day,  with  the  entire  flotilla,  to  New  Madrid,  and  leave 
to-morrow  for  Fort  Pillow,  or  the  next  point  down  the  river  which  may 
attempt  to  resist  the  raising  of  the  blockade. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 

"The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles,  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Washington,  D.  C." 

Foote  was  extremely  jealous  of  the  reputation  of  his  little 
fleet,  and  we  can  not  blame  the  pertinacity  with  which  he  in 
sists  upon  justice  being  rendered  to  the  brave  men  who  did  so 
much  to  clear  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  and  the  Mississippi 
River  of  all  the  obstacles  that  the  enemy,  with  their  utmost 
effort  and  skill,  could  rear.  The  capture  of  Island  No.  Ten — 


Fruits  of  Victory.  293 

concerning  which  the  enemy  is  reported  to  have  said, "  Thus 
far  shalt  thou  go  and  no  farther " — was  a  great  event ;  and 
coming  simultaneously  with  the  hard- won  battle  of  Pittsburg 
Landing  on  the  6th  and  7th,  in  which  the  gun-boats  so  effi 
ciently  participated,  it  produced  a  profound  impression  North 
and  South ;  and  once  more  the  Southern  line  of  defense  was 
broken,  and  the  hopes  of  a  northern  advance  of  the  rebel 
arms  at  the  West  totally  and  forever  frustrated. 

The  taking  of  Island  No. Ton  was  a  triumph  of  the  most  de 
cisive  character.  "  The  number  of  prisoners  taken  by  Pope 
and  Foote  together  was  seven  thousand  two  hundred  and  sev 
enty-three,  including  three  generals  and  two  hundred  and  sev 
enty-three  field  and  company  officers.  The  spoils  of  victory 
were  nearly  twenty  batteries,  with  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
three  cannon  and  mortars,  the  former  varying  from  32  to  100 
pounders;  seven  thousand  small-arms;  an  immense  amount 
of  ammunition  on  the  island  and  in  magazines  at  points  along 
the  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  shores ;  many  hundred  horses 
and  mules  with  wagons,  and  four  steamers  afloat."* 

This  most  valuable  victory,  shared  by  the  Army  and  Navy, 
the  result  of  patience,  mingled  writh  timely  action,  and  not 
even  marred  by  the  sorrow  of  sanguinary  slaughter — a  blood 
less  victory — was  a  fitting  end  to  the  active  military  career  of 
him  who  was  not  a  man  of  blood,  though  a  man  of  the  sword. 
But  a  few  days  more  of  honorable  responsibility,  anxiety,  and 
suffering,  and  the  longed-for  rest  came. 

*  Lossing's  "  Civil  War  in  America,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  247. 


CHAPTEE  XXIIL 


GIVING     UP    OF     ACTIVE    COMMAND. 

THE  reception  of  the  news  of  the  fall  of  Island  No.  Ten  by 
the  government  and  country,  although  waited  for  long  and 
with  much  impatience,  was  most  enthusiastic.  The  following 
letter  of  congratulation  was  telegraphed  to  the  commodore  on 
the  9th  of  April : 

"  FLAG-OFFICER  A.  H.  FOOTE,  commanding  Gun-boats,  Western  Waters : 
"  SIR, — A  nation's  thanks  are  due  to  you  and  the  brave  officers  and 
men  of  the  flotilla  on  the  Mississippi,  whose  labors  and  gallantry  at  Island 
No.  Ten,  which  surrendered  to  you,  have  for  weeks  been  watched  with 
intense  interest.  Your  triumph  is  not  the  less  appreciated  because  it 
was  protracted,  and  finally  bloodless. 

"  To  that  Being  who  has  protected  you  through  so  many  perils,  and 
carried  you  onward  through  successive  victories,  be  the  praise  for  his 
continued  goodness  to  our  country,  and  especially  for  this  last  great  suc 
cess  of  our  arms. 

"  Let  the  congratulations  to  yourself  and  your  command  be  also  ex 
tended  to  the  officers  and  soldiers  who  co-operated  with  you. 

"  GIDEON  WELLES,  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

So  greatly  was  confidence  in  the  Union  cause  restored  by 
these  victories  at  the  West  that  government  securities,  which 
were  two  and  a  half  and  three  per  cent,  below  par,  immedi 
ately  commanded  a  premium.  Panic  prevailed  among  the 
Confederates  on  the  Mississippi,  even  to  New  Orleans.  Mar 
tial  law  was  proclaimed  in  Memphis,  and  the  specie  in  the 
banks  was  removed  to  places  of  supposed  safety.* 

*  Lossing's  "  Civil  War  in  America,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  249. 


Engagement  with  Hollinss  Fleet.  295 

Foote  and  Pope  did  not  rest  upon  their  victory,  but  on  the 
13th  of  April  an  army  of  twenty  thousand  men  was  con 
voyed  by  the  gun-boats  down  the  river,  and  landed  in  the  vi 
cinity  of  Fort  Pillow,  just  above  Memphis,  and  the  combined 
naval  and  land  forces  prepared  to  attack  that  fortification. 
Five  rebel  gun-boats  of  Hollins's  fleet  that  came  out  to  oppose 
them  before  they  reached  Fort  Pillow  were  engaged,  and  were 
chased  in  under  the  protection  of  the  guns  of  the  fort. 

This  engagement  took  place  on  Sunday  morning,  and  when 
the  hour  for  reading  the  service  came,  the  commodore  sug 
gested  that  the  firing  should  cease,  and  the  crew  be  mustered 
for  a  brief  space.  He  himself  read  the  service ;  and,  after  a 
short  extemporaneous  prayer,  he  set  forth  in  clear  and  concise 
terms  to  the  men  that  duty  to  one's  country  often  called 
them  to  do,  as  they  were  doing,  something  entirely  opposed 
to  the  usual  proper  manner  of  observing  the  sacred  day,  and 
the  reasons  for  this.  The  men  listened  attentively,  as  they 
always  did,  to  his  remarks,  and  then  they  were  piped  down 
to  their  work  at  the  batteries.  Several  shells  burst  over  the 
ship  during  this  remarkable  service. 

The  plan  marked  out  in  these  operations  by  Foote  and  Pope 
was  that  the  mortar-boats,  protected  by  the  gun-boats,  were  to 
be  placed  on  the  Arkansas  shore  within  range  of  the  enemy's 
batteries,  while  General  Pope  was  to  strive  to  get  into  the 
rear  of  the  fort,  the  boats  attacking  in  front. 

During  these  active  preparations  for  assault  the  following 
telegram  reached  the  flag-officer,  showing  how  useful  and  in 
dispensable  were  his  gun-boats  in  another  quarter : 

"  U.  S.  GUN-BOAT  *  TAYLOR,'  PITTSBURG,  TENNESSEE,  ] 
April  14, 1862.  ) 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  inform  you  that  the  Tayl&r  and  Lexington  con 
voyed  two  transports,  containing  two  thousand  troops,  infantry  and  cav 
alry,  under  the  command  of  General  Sherman,  to  Chickasaw,  Alabama, 
where  they  disembarked,  and  proceeded  rapidly  to  Bear  Creek  Bridge, 


296  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

the  crossing  of  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  Railroad,  for  the  purpose  of 
destroying  it,  and  as  much  of  the  trestle-work  as  they  could  find. 

"  I  am  happy  to  state  that  the  expedition  was  entirely  successful.  The 
bridge,  consisting  of  two  spans,  one  hundred  and  ten  feet  each,  was  com 
pletely  destroyed  (i.  e.,  the  superstructure),  together  with  some  five  hun 
dred  feet  of  trestle-work,  and  half  a  mile  of  telegraph  line. 

"  The  rebels  made  a  feeble  resistance  to  our  cavalry,  one  hundred  and 
twenty  in  number ;  but  soon  made  a  hasty  retreat,  losing  four  killed ; 
our  loss,  none. 

"  I  regret  to  state  that,  in  firing  a  salute  on  the  12th,  John  D.  Seymour, 
boatswain's  mate,  was  so  much  injured  by  the  premature  discharge  of  a 
gun  as  to  cause  his  death  yesterday  morning. 

"  Allow  me  to  congratulate  you,  and  those  under  your  command,  on 
your  great  success  at  Island  No.  Ten.  Inclosed  I  send  you  Lieutenant- 
Commanding  Shirk's  report.  Very  respectfully,  etc., 

"  WILLIAM  Gwra,  Lieutenant, 
"  Com.  Division  of  Gun-boats  on  Tennessee  River. 

"  Flag-Officer  A.  H.  Foote,  com.  Naval  Forces, Western  Waters." 

It  was  necessary  to  destroy  the  lines  of  railway  communi 
cation  southward  from  Tennessee  and  Virginia,  and  thus  to 
prevent  the  rapid  reforming  of  the  broken  lines  of  rebel  de 
fense  ;  and  the  value  of  the  gun-boats  in  this  work,  both  in 
conveying  troops  and  in  affording  protection  to  transports,  was 
great.  These  gun-boats — the  Taylor  and  the  Lexington — we 
have  seen,  were  an  important  means  of  saving  our  army  from 
destruction  at  the  terrible  battle  of  Shiloh.  If  this  almost 
equal  battle  had  been  decisively  won  by  the  Confederates,  the 
gun-boats  on  the  Tennessee,  Cumberland,  and  Mississippi  riv 
ers  would  have  been  forced  to  play  a  prominent  part  in  de 
fending  conquered  territory,  and  in  holding  back  the  furious 
rebel  advance;  hence  the  cautiousness  of  Commodore  Foote 
in  not  rashly  exposing  his  vessels  at  Island  No.  Ten  seemed  to 
be  far-sighted  and  wise.  These  vessels  were  also  destined  to 
perform  much  valuable  additional  service  on  the  Mississippi ; 
and  the  names  of  the  Benton,  Cincinnati,  Carondelet,  Louis- 


Operations  at  Fort  Pillow.  297 

,  figure  in  many  hard-fought  battles  and  sieges  after  their 
old  flag-officer  had  been  compelled  to  retire  from  their  com 
mand.  As  the  Trojan  fleet  become  almost  like  living  person 
ages  to  the  reader  of  Virgil,  so  these  black  gun-boats  of  our 
American  "piiis  jfineas"  with  their  varied  qualities  and  for 
tunes,  grow  vividly  familiar  in  the  memory  of  one  who  studies 
the  history  of  this  little  flotilla. 

In  regard  to  the  operations  in  front  of  Fort  Pillow,  which 
were  actually  the  last  that  Commodore  Foote  was  permitted 
to  take  an  active  personal  share  in,  we  give  his  own  accounts 
of  them,  for  we  have  already  discovered  that  much  of  the  pub 
lished  history  of  the  military  operations  at  the  West  during 
the  period  when  Foote  wras  a  prominent  actor  therein,  is  really 
nothing  more  than  an  embodiment  of  his  letters  and  reports ; 
for  he  was  the  pen  as  well  as  the  sword  of  many  of  the  scenes 
in  which  he  was  engaged.  These  are  also  interesting  as  being 
the  last  of  his  official  papers : 


"  FLAG-STEAMER  '  BENTON,'  OFF  FORT  PILLOW,  ) 
April  14, 1862.  j 

"  SIR, — I  have  the  honor  to  report  that  on  the  llth  instant  I  proceeded 
with  our  flotilla  from  Island  No.  Ten  to  New  Madrid,  and  left  that  place 
with  all  our  force  on  the  12th  instant,  and  anchored  the  same  evening  near 
and  just  below  the  Arkansas  line,  fifty  miles  distant  from  New  Madrid. 

"  Early  in  the  morning,  General  Pope,  with  transports  conveying  his 
army  of  twenty  thousand  men,  arrived  from  New  Madrid.  At  eight 
o'clock  five  rebel  gun-boats  rounded  the  point  below  us,  when  the  gun 
boats,  the  Benton  in  advance,  immediately  got  under  way  and  proceeded 
in  pursuit ;  and  when  within  long  range  opened  upon  the  rebels,  fol 
lowed  by  the  Carondelet,  Cincinnati,  and  other  boats.  After  an  exchange 
of  some  twenty  shots,  the  rebel  boats  rapidly  steamed  down  the  river, 
and  kept  beyond  our  range  until  they  reached  the  batteries  of  Fort  Pil 
low — a  distance  of  more  than  thirty  miles.  We  followed  them  to  within 
a  mile  of  Fort  Pillow,  within  easy  range  of  their  batteries,  for  the  purpose 
of  making  a  good  reconnoissance,  at  considerable  expense,  however ;  but 
it  was  not  till  we  had  rounded  to  and  ran  some  distance  up  the  stream  that 


298  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

the  enemy  opened  upon  us,  and  then  with  no  effect,  their  shot,  most  of  them, 
going  beyond  us.  Having  accomplished  our  object,  I  tied  the  flotilla  up  to 
the  banks  of  the  Tennessee  side,  out  of  range  of  the  forts,  for  the  night. 

"  General  Pope,  with  Assistant-Secretary  Scott,  came  aboard  at  3  P.  M., 
when  it  was  arranged  that  the  mortar-boats  should  be  placed  in  the 
morning  on  the  Arkansas  shore,  within  range  of  the  forts,  to  be  protected 
by  the  gun-boats ;  and  General  Pope,  with  most  of  his  force,  should  land 
five  miles  above,  with  the  view  of  getting  his  army,  if  possible,  to  the 
rear  of  the  fortifications,  and  make  the  attack  in  rear,  while  we  should, 
with  gun  and  mortar  boats,  attack  them  in  front. 

"  This  place  has  a  long  line  of  fortifications,  with  guns  of  heavy  cal 
ibre  ;  their  number  and  the  number  of  their  men  I  have  not  yet  been  able 
to  ascertain.  The  secession  feeling  here,  as  I  learn  from  several  persons 
coming  on  board,  is  very  strong ;  and  they  express  the  opinion  that  the 
resistance  will  be  very  determined. 

"  Three  P.  M. — General  Pope  has  returned  with  his  transports,  and  in 
forms  me  that  he  is  unable  to  reach  the  rear  of  the  rebels  from  any  point 
of  the  river  above,  and  proposes  to  cut  a  canal  on  the  Arkansas  side, 
which  will  enable  us  to  get  three  or  four  of  the  gun-boats  below,  and 
thus  enable  him  to  cross  the  river  below  the  upper  forts,  and  thus  cut 
off  the  batteries.  "We  shall  thus  have  three  iron-clads  above  and  four 
below,  which,  I  presume,  will  be  all  that  will  be  required  in  case  the  six 
gun-boats  of  the  rebels  make  an  attack  upon  either  division,  as  three  of 
our  gun-boats  ought  successfully  to  cope  with  six  of  theirs. 

"  The  mortars  are  now  firing,  and  have  driven  the  rebel  gun-boats  out 
of  range  down  the  river. 

.  "  I  shall  continue  to  keep  the  Department  advised  of  our  movements. 

"  The  effects  of  my  wound  have  quite  a  dispiriting  effect  upon  me, 
from  the  increased  inflammation  and  swelling  of  my  foot  and  leg,  which 
have  induced  a  febrile  action,  depriving  me  of  a  good  deal  of  sleep  and 
energy.  I  can  not  give  the  wound  that  attention  and  rest  it  absolutely 
requires  until  this  place  is  captured. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  obedient  servant, 

"  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 

"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles,  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

"We  here  insert  a  private  letter,  of  which  and  similar  let 
ters  Secretary  Welles  says:  "I  send  herewith  half  a  dozen 
letters  written  by  Admiral  Foote  in  the  spring  of  1862,  when, 


Correspondence.  .299 


suffering  from  wounds  and  domestic  afflictions,  with  a  load 
of  care  and  responsibility  upon  him,  he  displayed  the  forti 
tude,  heroism,  and  resignation  of  the  soldier  and  the  Chris 
tian  in  these  unofficial  communications.  They  were  written, 
I  apprehend,  in  the  most  interesting  and  critical  period  of  his 
life.  They  exhibit  his  devotion  to  his  country  under  great 
trials  and  severe  personal  suffering.  In  them  the  character 
and  qualities  of  the  man  and  officer  are  displayed. " 

"  STEAMER  '  BENTON,'  OFF  FORT  PILLOW,  April  17, 1862. 

"Mr  DEAR  SIR, — I  am  grateful  to  you  beyond  expression  for  your 
kind  and  sympathizing  letter  of  the  9th  instant.  I  feel  it  the  more  from 
our  early  intimate  friendship,  and  especially  at  this  time  of  affliction  and 
bodily  suifering,  increased  by  our  peculiar  position  to-day  through  the 
unexpected  withdrawal  of  the  army  before  this  stronghold.  I  was  quite 
hopeful  last  evening  that  in  four  days  we  should  have  this  place,  and  be 
in  Memphis  in  two  more ;  but  General  Pope's  departure  has  really  left  us 
in  quite  a  forlorn  condition,  comparatively  speaking.  The  two  regiments 
left  are  not  of  the  right  kind,  and  have  no  tools  to  work  with.  I  will 
do  all  I  can,  but  have  little  hope  of  doing  much  in  the  face  of  such  forts. 
It  is  the  most  trying  position  that  a  man  can  be  placed  in,  as  we  can  not 
reinforce,  while  the  enemy  is  receiving  troops  and  gun-boats. 

"  I  did  not  foresee  all  this  when  I  so  truthfully  stated  my  case  to  you, 
and  left  it  with  the  Department  to  decide  whether  to  keep  me  here  or 
relieve  me  in  view  of  the  public  interest,  for  I  am  ready  to  die  for  my 
country ;  but  I  do  hope  that  if  disaster  come  you  will  vindicate  my  mem 
ory,  as  I  have  been  and  am  doing  all  that  a  man  could  do,  although  now 
I  am  suffering  so  much  I  can  not  well  attend  to  my  duties,  and  am  un 
able  to  move  except  in  case  of  great  necessity — or,  rather,  to  go  on  deck 
on  crutches  with  my  foot  raised  causes  increased  inflammation. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  respond  to  your  kind  letter  in  such  a  dolorous  strain ; 
but  really  I  am  weak,  and  have  more  to  do  than  my  strength  enables  me 
to  perform  properly. 

"  We  have  seven  iron-clads  and  one  wooden  gun-boat  here,  two  wooden 
ones  up  the  Tennessee  River,  and  one  iron  -  clad  at  Hickman,  near  Co 
lumbus.  Please  excuse  this  poor  note. 

"  With  high  esteem,  yours  truly,  A.  H.  FOOTE. 

"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles." 


300  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

"  U.  S.  FLAG-STEAMER  '  BENTON,'  OFF  FORT  PILLOW,  ) 
April  17, 1862.  j 

"  SIR, — I  have  the  honor  to  inform  the  Department  that  yesterday  and 
the  day  preceding  I  had,  with  General  Pope,  made  such  arrangements, 
by  combining  my  own  with  the  forces  of  the  army,  that  our  possession 
of  this  stronghold  seemed  to  be  inevitable  in  less  than  six  days.  I  had 
stronger  hopes  of  this  desirable  result  than  I  even  entertained  at  Island 
No.  Ten,  till  the  actual  surrender  was  tendered.  Our  object  then,  after 
leaving  a  force  to  garrison  the  place,  was  to  proceed  to  Memphis  imme 
diately,  where,  I  have  good  authority  for  stating,  we  would  have  been  re 
ceived  without  opposition.  But  the  sudden  withdrawal  of  the  entire 
army  of  General  Pope  this  morning,  under  orders  to  proceed  directly  up 
the  Tennessee  River  to  join  General  Halleck's  command  at  Pittsburg,  has 
frustrated  the  best -matured  and  most  hopeful  plans  and  expectations 
thus  far  formed  in  this  expedition.  Two  volunteer  regiments,  under 
command  of  Colonel  Fitch,  were  left  here  by  General  Pope  to  co-operate 
with  the  flotilla.  While  I  deeply  regret  the  withdrawal  of  General  Pope's 
command,  I  am  not  at  all  questioning  the  propriety,  and  even  the  neces 
sity,  of  its  presence  at  Pittsburg;  and  I  shall  use  every  exertion  with  the 
force  remaining  to  accomplish  good  results. 

"It  is  a  very  great  object  to  obtain  early  possession  of  this  place  and 
Memphis,  as  ten  of  the  rebel  gun-boats  are  now  at  Fort  Pillow,  and  ten 
others  are  reported  as  en  route  to  Memphis,  and  daily  expected  at  that 
place.  It  is  reported  that  Commodore  Hollins  left  Fort  Pillow  on  Sun 
day  to  bring  up  the  heavy  gun-boat  Louisiana,  now  about  completed  at 
New  Orleans.  With  the  exception  of  this  vessel,  however,  we  have  little 
to  apprehend  from  the  other  rebel  gun-boats,  according  to  the  represen 
tations  of  the  four  or  six  deserters  lately  coming  to  us  from  the  gun-boats 
at  Fort  Pillow.  At  all  events,  the  Department  may  rest  assured  of  every 
exertion  being  made  on  our  part  to  accomplish  the  great  work  intrusted 
to  this  expedition.  I  have  the  honor  to  be  your  obedient  servant, 

"  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 

"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles,  Secretary  of  the  Navy,Washington,  D.  C." 

"  U.  S.  FLAG-STEAMER  '  BENTON,'  OFF  FORT  PILLOW,  ) 
April  19, 1862.  f 

"  SIR, — I  have  the  honor  to  inform  the  Department  that  since  my  last 
communication  of  the  17th  instant  we  have  been  occasionally  throwing 
shells  into  the  rebel  fortifications  from  the  mortar-boats,  which  have  been 


Operations  at  Fort  Pillow.  301 

returned  from  their  rifled  guns,  without  producing  any  effect.  Ours  have 
compelled  one  encampment  to  remove  its  quarters ;  and  from  several  de 
serters  we  learn  that  they  have  otherwise  disturbed  them. 

"  One  or  two  examinations  made  by  Colonel  Fitch,  commanding  the 
two  regiments  left  to  co-operate  with  the  flotilla  by  General  Pope  on 
withdrawing  his  army,  have  been  unsuccessful  thus  far  in  finding  a  bayou 
for  our  boats,  and  a  position  below  Fort  Pillow  where  a  battery  can  be 
placed  to  command  the  river  below.  I  shall  again  render  him  assist 
ance  by  sending  over  small  boats,  in  hopes  that  at  a  distance  farther  up 
the  river  we  may  be  able  to  discover  a  bayou  leading  into  a  lake,  in 
which  water  sufficient  may  be  found  for  our  gun-boats,  with  a  view  of 
erecting  a  battery  under  their  protection,  which  will  blockade  the  river 
below,  and  enable  his  force,  although  not  exceeding  fifteen  hundred  men, 
to  come  upon  the  rebels  in  the  rear,  while,  with  the  remaining  gun-boats 
here,  we  attack  them  in  front. 

"  I  am  greatly  exercised  about  our  position  here  on  account  of  the  with 
drawal  of  the  army  of  twenty  thousand  men,  so  important  an  element  to 
the  capture  of  the  place.  Fort  Pillow  has  for  its  defense  at  least  forty 
heavy  guns  in  position,  and  nine  gun-boats — six  of  them,  however,  being 
wood,en  boats,  but  armed  with  heavy  guns — with  a  force  of  six  thousand 
troops.  Our  force  consists  of  seven  iron-clads  and  one  wooden  gun-boat ; 
sixteen  mortar-boats,  only  available  in  throwing  shell  to  a  distance,  and 
even  worse  than  useless  for  defense ;  and  a  land  force  of  two  regiments, 
not  exceeding  fifteen  hundred  troops.  Under  these  circumstances,  an 
attack  on  our  part,  unless  we  can  at  first  establish  a  battery  below  the 
fort  under  the  protection  of  the  gun-boats,  and  to  co-operate  with  it  after 
its  completion,  would  be  extremely  hazardous,  although  its  attempt  might 
prove  successful,  and  even  be  good  policy  under  the  circumstances ;  but 
it  can  hardly  be  now  so  regarded,  as  a  disaster  would  place  all  that  we 
have  gained  on  this  and  other  rivers  at  the  mercy  of  the  rebel  fleet,  un 
less  the  batteries  designed  to  command  the  river  from  below  are  com 
pleted  at  No.  Ten,  or  at  Columbus,  which  I  very  much  doubt.  I  there 
fore  hesitate  about  a  direct  attack  upon  this  place  now,  more  than  I 
should  were  the  river  above  properly  protected,  although  by  it  and  loss 
of  time  the  rebels  may  succeed  in  getting  up  to  Fort  Pillow  their  entire 
fleet  of  gun-boats.  As  I  stated  in  my  last  communication,  had  not  Gen 
eral  Pope's  army  been  withdrawn,  we  have  every  reason  for  believing 
that  a  plan  we  had  adopted  would  have  insured  the  fall  of  Fort  Pillow 
in  four  days,  and  enabled  us  to  have  moved  on  Memphis  in  two  days  aft- 


302  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

erward.  It  has  always  been  my  expectation  that  a  large  army  would 
co-operate  with  the  gun-boats ;  and  now  the  fall  of  Corinth  and  move 
ments  of  our  troops  on  to  Memphis  seem  to  be  essential  to  our  holding 
this  place,  and  reaching  Memphis  with  the  flotilla.  *  *  * 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 

"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles,  Secretary  of  the  Navy, Washington,  D.  C." 

"  U.  S.  FLAG-STEAMER  '  BKNTON,'  OFF  FORT  PILLOW,  | 
April  23, 1862.  ) 

"  SIR, — I  have  the  honor  to  inform  the  Department  that  since  my  last 
communication,  with  the  exception  of  a  day  or  two,  when  the  heavy  rains 
caused  the  mortars  to  recoil  dangerously  on  the  wet  platform,  we  have 
been  shelling  the  rebel  batteries  at  Fort  Pillow,  and  most  of  the  time 
kept  their  gun-boats  beyond  our  range.  Colonel  Fitch,  in  command  of 
the  twelve  hundred  infantry  left  here  by  General  Pope,  has  been  examin 
ing  bayous  and  creeks,  with  a  view  of  getting  guns  to  blockade  the  river, 
and  prevent  the  new  gun-boats  from  coming  up  from  New  Orleans  and 
Memphis ;  but,  as  the  rebels  are  in  great  force,  and  no  tools  or  conven 
iences  for  cutting  through  the  swamps  were  left  by  General  Pope  when 
his  army,  so  unfortunately  for  us,  was  withdrawn,  he  has  made  as  yet  no 
satisfactory  progress. 

"  I  am  doing  all  in  my  power  toward  devising  ways  and  means  pre 
paratory  to  a  successful  attack  on  the  forts,  and  shall  continue  to  do  so ; 
but  as  the  capture  of  this  place  was  predicated  upon  a  large  land  force 
co-operating  with  the  flotilla,  or  its  being  turned  by  the  army  march 
ing  upon  Memphis,  and  considering  the  difficulties  of  fighting  the  flotilla 
down  stream  with  our  slow  boats  compared  with  up-stream  work,  the 
Department  will  not  be  surprised  at  our  delay,  and  at  our  having  made 
no  further  progress  toward  the  capture  of  this  stronghold.  I  shall, 
however,  do  all  in  my  power  to  be  successful  here,  and  exert  myself, 
even  beyond  my  impaired  health  and  strength,  toward  the  accomplish 
ment  of  this  great  object. 

"  The  rebels  are  strongly  fortified  on  land,  and  have  eleven  gun-boats 
lying  near,  or  rather  below  their  fortifications.  A  resident  of  the  place 
informs  me  this  morning  that  thirteen  gun-boats  are  now  here,  seven  of 
which,  however,  are  mere  river  steamers,  with  boilers  and  machinery  sunk 
into  their  holds,  and  otherwise  protected ;  but  they  carry  from  four  to  six 
or  eight  guns  of  heavy  calibre,  some  of  which  are  rifled.  The  other  boats 


Operations  at  Fort  Pillow.  303 

are  iron-plated  or  filled  in  with  cotton.  The  large  steamer,  of  sixteen  or 
twenty  guns,  being  plated,  and  named  the  Louisiana,  has  not  arrived ; 
but  is  daily  expected  from  New  Orleans. 

"  I  have  thus  given  the  Department  the  best  information  I  can  obtain 
from  the  most  reliable  sources — from  resident  Union  men,  and  the  twelve 
deserters  from  the  enemy;  whose  accounts,  however,  are  conflicting, 
many  of  them  giving  fabulous  numbers  of  men,  guns,  and  gun-boats. 
We  have  not  force  enough  to  hold  the  place  if  we  take  it. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 

"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles,  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  Washington,  D.  C. 

"  P.  S. — In  a  picket  skirmish  yesterday  the  rebels  lost  one  killed  and 
one  or  two  wounded.  No  loss  on  our  side.  A.  H.  F." 

This  private  note  followed  these  official  communications : 

"  STEAMER  '  BENTON,'  OFF  FORT  PILLOW, 
April  24,  1862. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — I  have  given  you,  in  my  official  letters,  the  state  of 
things  here  as  correctly  and  fully  as  my  state  of  health  would  enable 
me  to  do.  I  am  very  much  prostrated  by  the  continuous  draft  on  my 
physique  from  my  inflamed  foot,  which  appears  to  be  slowly  but  steadily 
growing  worse,  till  I  am  confined  mostly  to  my  cabin  with  a  swollen, 
painful  leg,  affecting  my  whole  system,  and  rendering  it  impossible  for 
me  to  give  that  attention  to  my  duties  which  circumstances  require.  I 
have,  however,  substantially  stated  all  this,  indorsed  by  the  surgeons; 
and  it  is  for  the  Department  to  decide  whether  I  shall  remain  under 
these  circumstances.  If  I  am  to  do  so,  I  trust  that  I  shall  not  be  held  re 
sponsible  for  matters,  as  if  I  had  health  to  perform  my  duties.  I  wanted 
to  see  this  expedition  reach  New  Orleans ;  but  still  I  deemed  it  my  duty 
to  represent  my  case  as  it  is  to  the  government,  and  let  it  judge  how  to 
dispose  of  it. 

"Entre  nous,  Colonel  Fitch,  who  is  a  celebrated  surgeon,  and  commands 
the  small  force  left  here  by  General  Pope,  examined  my  case  yesterday, 
and  said  that  a  suppuration  might  take  place  in  my  foot,  which  would 
probably  permanently  injure  or  destroy  it.  I  feel  discouraged  about  it, 
and  it  has  taken  most  of  the  energy  out  of  me.  Excuse  this  incoherent 
note.  With  high  respect,  your  obliged  friend,  A.  H.  FOOTE. 

"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles. 


304  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

"  P.  S. — We  are  shelling  the  forts  with  mortars,  and  the  rebels  are  re 
plying  with  gun  for  shell.  When  I  sent  the  surgeon's  opinion,  General 
Pope  was  here,  and  I  confidently  expected  that  yesterday  we  should  be 
in  Memphis,  and  no  serious  obstacle  would  intervene  from  thence  to  New 
Orleans ;  but  General  Pope  left  the  next  evening,  and  all  my  plans  were 
frustrated ;  and  although  my  foot  goes  from  bad  to  worse,  I  stood  up 
against  it  to  the  very  last.  A.  H.  F." 

While  thus  condemned  to  keep  watch  and  ward  of  Fort 
Pillow,  without  the  possibility  (deprived  as  he  was  of  the 
army's  assistance)  of  taking  it,  he  received  many  pleasant  and 
cheering  letters,  of  which  the  following  from  one  of  his  officers 

is  a  good  specimen : 

"  CAIRO,  April  22, 1862. 

"MY  DEAR  FLAG-OFFICER, — I  deeply  regret  to  learn  that  your  foot 
troubles  you  so  much,  and  that  your  general  health  is  affected  by  it.  Do 
give  yourself  a  little  more  rest.  You  need  it,  and  should  take  it,  not 
only  for  your  own  sake,  but  also  for  that  of  your  country.  A  great  deal 
depends  upon  you.  It  would  be  a  calamity  if  you  were  obliged  to  give 
up  your  command,  and  it  would  create  confusion  and  disorganization  in 
the  flotilla.  I  hope  to  hear  that  you  are  better,  and  are  taking  good  care 
of  yourself. 

"  The  weather  here  has  been  exceedingly  disagreeable,  but  it  has  not 
kept  us  fr6m  working.  I  was  greatly  relieved  when  our  Cairo  magazines 
were  emptied. 

"  I  sent  you  by  the  De  Soto  the  articles  you  desired ;  call  upon  me  al 
ways,  for  it  gives  me  great  pleasure  to  attend  to  your  wants. 

"I  am  snugly  domesticated  on  board  the  wharf- boat.  I  have  two 
rooms  nicely  fitted  up — thanks  to  friend  Wise,  who  is  never  so  happy  as 
when  he  is  contributing  to  the  comfort  of  others.  Mrs.  Wise,  Mrs.  Stem- 
bel,  and  Mrs.  Pennock  enjoy  their  new  home.  We  are  decidedly  more 
comfortable  than  we  were  at  the  hotel.  If  the  river  continue  high,  we 
may  have  to  take  to  salt  grub,  but  no  one  will  mind  that. 

"We  commenced  to-day  getting  on  board  Porter's  9-inch  guns  pre 
paratory  to  shipping  them  to  St.  Louis ;  dragging  them  through  mud 
and  water  is  no  easy  task.  If  the  Department  do  not  give  us  official  in 
formation  with  regard  to  the  rams  now  building  at  Pittsburg  and  Cin 
cinnati,  and  there  is  delay  on  that  account,  we  must  not  be  blamed  for  it. 
It  will  take  time  to  select  suitable  pilots  and  masters  for  them.  I  have 


Correspondence.  305 


telegraphed  to  Wise  that  if  you  were  expected  to  officer  the  rams,  timely 
notice  should  be  given.  If  I  can  secure  good  masters  and  pilots  for  the 
Eastport*  had  I  not  better  do  so  ?  If  Captain  Porter  have  no  need  of  the 
services  of  Lieutenant  McGunngle,  had  he  not  better  be  ordered  here  ?  I 
do  not  hear  of  any  rams  being  built  at  St.  Louis.  Remember  me  kindly 
to  Phelps.  Sincerely  your  friend,  A.  M.  PENNOCK." 

Paymaster-Captain  Wise  writes  also  from  Cairo : 

"  There  is  considerable  apprehension  that  the  levee  will  give  way,  as  at 
our  landing  the  water  is  only  a  foot  or  two  from  the  top.  From  my  room 
I  can  look  down  upon  Cairo  ;  and  sociable  visiting  is  carried  on  in  boats, 
while  first  floors  are  used  as  bath-rooms  and  fish-ponds.  The  St.  Charles 
Hotel  will  probably  for  once  be  cleansed,  as  the  river  is  expected  to  make 
a  new  channel  through  it.  There  is  much  alarm  among  the  boarders,  and 
Mrs.  Stembel  and  Mrs.  Pennock  have  both  taken  refuge  on  board  our  ark." 

We  can  well  imagine  the  grim  jokes  and  fun  among  those 
sea-dogs  at  thus  being  cooped  up  and  nearly  drowned  like  rats 
in  these  fresh- water  towns. 

The  following  letter  of  the  commodore's  is  in  a  more  hope 
ful  and  cheerful  vein,  evidently  from  the  fact  that  something 
positive  had  been  decided  upon  by  the  government : 

"'BENTON,'  OFF  FORT  PILLOW,  April  27, 1862. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — I  have  but  a  moment  of  time  to  respond  to  your  ex 
ceedingly  kind  note  of  the  21st  instant,  referring  to  Captain  Davis  and 
my  services,  as  the  mail  leaves  for  Cairo  in  a  few  minutes. 

"  I  am  greatly  relieved  by  your  letter  and  the  manner  in  which  you 
have  disposed  of  my  case.  I  considered  it  to  be  my  duty  to  take  the 
step  I  did,  and  then  leave  the  issue  with  the  Department.  I  shall  strive 
to  do  my  duty  to  the  last ;  and  in  the  mean  time  will  take  the  best  possi 
ble  care  of  my  wound,  and  hope  in  Him  who  has  hitherto  been  my  Helper 
for  wisdom  to  guide  me  in  my  duty. 

"  Like  all  great  men,  I  see  that  you  have  your  detractors.  I  have  even 
myself  been  asked  why  the  Navy  Department  did  not  render  me  more 
aid.  But  I  have  invariably  said  that  as  this  flotilla  was  a  hybrid  concern, 

*  The  captured  rebel  steamer  that  Foote  had  been  authorized  by  tlie 
President  to  put  in  fighting  trim. 

X 


308  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

whose  skill  and  bravery,  and  even  diplomatic  ability,  have  been  produc 
tive  of  the  best  results  to  our  interests  here  ;  and  may  I  respectfully,  in 
view  of  this  officer's  services,  ask  for  him  promotion  to  the  grade  of  com 
mander,  as  I  know  of  no  one  in  the  Navy  whose  services  could  have  been 
greater  to  the  government.  If,  therefore,  any  promotions  for  gallantry 
and  general  merit  are  made,  I  trust  that  he  will  be  among  the  first  thus 
honored. 

"  A  report  came  to  me  last  evening  that  the  steam-ram  Louisiana,  of 
sixteen  guns,  had  arrived  at  Memphis  ;  and  that  in  ten  days  she  would 
be  up  here  and  clear  the  river  to  a  certainty.  We  shall  make  as  good  a 
fight  as  we  can  with  the  means  we  have.  I  saw  Colonel  Fitch  in  con 
sultation  to-day  in  reference  to  this  report,  which  may  be  exaggerated. 
I  forward  a  letter  found  at  Island  No.  Ten  ;  but  so  much  time  has  elapsed 
that  we  have  concluded  that  this  report  of  the  readiness  of  the  vessel 
to  come  up  here  has  been  greatly  overdrawn.  By  telegraphing  in  Cipher 
to  Commander  Pennock  at  Cairo,  he  will  send  a  steamer  to  me  in  twenty 
hours  after  its  receipt. 

"  In  haste,  truly  and  respectfully  yours,  A.  H.  FOOTE." 

"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles." 

Commodore  Smith  also  refers  to  the  reported  sending  of 
Davis  to  Foote's  assistance  : 


"MY  DEAR  FOOTE,  —  I  have  yours  of  the  16th  instant,  with  its  adden 
dum  of  the  17th.  I  regret  exceedingly  that  you  have  been  disappointed 
in  losing  the  services  of  General  Pope  ;  but  the  impending  battle  at  Cor 
inth,  I  presume,  is  the  cause. 

"  I  have  talked  to  the  Secretary  about  your  health.  He  has  ordered 
Davis  to  help  you,  as  he  seems  to  be  the  man  you  select,  and  I  trust  and 
hope  he  may  meet  your  expectations  of  him.  When  he  arrives,  if  I  were 
in  your  place,  I  would  not  remain,  if  you  are  to  sacrifice  your  life  by  it. 
You  have  done  your  share.  But,  God  willing.  I  trust  you  will  meet  the 
Atlantic  squadron  at  New  Orleans  or  higher  up  the  river,  where,  after 
the  taking  of  New  Orleans,  the  force  of  Farragut  is  ordered  to  proceed. 
I  regret  the  Army  does  not  work  more  kindly  with  you,  or  at  least  that 
General  Halleck  seems  to  pass  over  your  services,  and  to  notify  those  un 
der  him  that  they  are  not  under  your  orders.  Certainly,  then,  you  are 
not  under  his  orders.  The  Navy  will  work  its  way  anyhow.  We  are 
expecting  in  a  few  days  the  great  battle  at  Yorktown  to  come  off.  God 


Letter  of  Sympathy.  309 

grant  us  victory.  If  we  are  successful,  I  think  the  war  will  come  to  a 
close.  I  have  been  so  pressed  with  work  that  I  have  no  time  to  think 
of  any  private  affairs.  The  Secretary  puts  a  heavy  load  upon  us,  which  I 
will  try  to  bear  to  the  best  of  my  ability.  You  are  considered  by  the 
community  the  man  of  the  war.  Nothing  can  wipe  that  out.  The  glo 
rious  news  from  New  Orleans  through  Secesh  source  is  refreshing.  I 
have  been  at  work  getting  up  iron-clad  boats  for  the  rivers— don't  know 
their  requirements,  but  I  know  it  is  impossible  to  shield  them  properly 
with  iron  and  have  light  draft  of  water ;  so  we  must  do  the  best  we  can. 
"  Yours  very  truly  as  always.  In  haste, 

"JOSEPH  SMITH." 

A  letter  of  sympathy  was  also  received  at  this  time  from  his 
former  pastor  at  Brooklyn,  Eev.  Dr.  Budington,  from  which 
we  extract  the  following : 

"  I  have  wished  to  express  to  you  my  sympathy  on  the  occasion  of 
the  death  of  your  dear  Willie,  an  event  which  was  announced  to  me  on 
Sabbath  morning  upon  entering  the  pulpit,  and  which  led  me  to  ask  the 
prayers  of  the  congregation  on  your  behalf.  Be  assured  you  have  them, 
and  that  the  hearts  of  our  people  have  followed  your  late  series  of  suc 
cesses.  You  know  that  you  are  surrounded  by  the  thanks  and  admira 
tion  of  your  countrymen,  and  it  can  not  fail  to  be  a  solace  and  satisfaction 
to  you,  in  the  discharge  of  your  high  trust,  at  this  solemn  crisis  of  our 
country's  history ;  yet  outward  glory,  as  it  can  not  shield  the  heart  from 
the  shafts  of  affliction,  so  it  can  not  prevent  an  aching  heart  nor  eradicate 
a  pang.  I  rejoice  to  know  that  for  this  you  can  go  to  One  who  is  able,  and 
will  do  for  you  what  the  world  with  its  best  wishes  can  not.  May  you 
find  Him  unspeakably  near  and  precious  to  you  in  the  endurance  of  this 
great  and  unlooked-for  bereavement ;  and  while  God  is  filling  your  largest 
ambition  for  service  to  your  country,  may  the  benefits  of  a  sanctified  af 
fliction  defend  you  from  the  temptations  of  wordly  applause,  and  keep 
undisturbed  the  equipoise  of  a  soul  truly  consecrated  to  God,  and  holding 
earthly  distinctions  in  their  true  relations  to  eternal  issues.  At  the  same 
time  you  were  bereaved,  General  Casey,  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  a 
member  of  our  church,  lost  his  wife  in  Washington,  and  public  prayers 
were  offered  for  both  of  you  at  the  same  time.  Amid  the  deep  and  wide 
spread  sorrows  of  our  country  in  this  war,  it  seems  to  be  God's  will  that 
our  leaders,  who  are  leading  us  out  of  it  so  triumphantly,  should  them 
selves  be  partakers  of  tribulation." 


308  Life  of  Admiral  Fooie. 

whose  skill  and  bravery,  and  even  diplomatic  ability,  have  been  produc 
tive  of  the  best  results  to  our  interests  here  ;  and  may  I  respectfully,  in 
view  of  this  officer's  services,  ask  for  him  promotion  to  the  grade  of  com 
mander,  as  I  know  of  no  one  in  the  Navy  whose  services  could  have  been 
greater  to  the  government.  If,  therefore,  any  promotions  for  gallantry 
and  general  merit  are  made,  I  trust  that  he  will  be  among  the  first  thus 
honored. 

"  A  report  came  to  me  last  evening  that  the  steam-ram  Louisiana,  of 
sixteen  guns,  had  arrived  at  Memphis  ;  and  that  in  ten  days  she  would 
be  up  here  and  clear  the  river  to  a  certainty.  We  shall  make  as  good  a 
fight  as  we  can  with  the  means  we  have.  I  saw  Colonel  Fitch  in  con 
sultation  to-day  in  reference  to  this  report,  which  may  be  exaggerated. 
I  forward  a  letter  found  at  Island  No.  Ten  ;  but  so  much  time  has  elapsed 
that  we  have  concluded  that  this  report  of  the  readiness  of  the  vessel 
to  come  up  here  has  been  greatly  overdrawn.  By  telegraphing  in^cipher 
to  Commander  Pennock  at  Cairo,  he  will  send  a  steamer  to  me  in  twenty 
hours  after  its  receipt. 

"  In  haste,  truly  and  respectfully  yours,  A.  H.  FOOTE." 

"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles." 

Commodore  Smith  also  refers  to  the  reported  sending  of 
Davis  to  Foote's  assistance  : 


"MY  DEAR  FOOTE,  —  I  have  yours  of  the  16th  instant,  with  its  adden 
dum  of  the  17th.  I  regret  exceedingly  that  you  have  been  disappointed 
in  losing  the  services  of  General  Pope  ;  but  the  impending  battle  at  Cor 
inth,  I  presume,  is  the  cause. 

"  I  have  talked  to  the  Secretary  about  your  health.  He  has  ordered 
Davis  to  help  you,  as  he  seems  to  be  the  man  you  select,  and  I  trust  and 
hope  he  may  meet  your  expectations  of  him.  When  he  arrives,  if  I  were 
in  your  place,  I  would  not  remain,  if  you  are  to  sacrifice  your  life  by  it. 
You  have  done  your  share.  But,  God  willing,  I  trust  you  will  meet  the 
Atlantic  squadron  at  New  Orleans  or  higher  up  the  river,  where,  after 
the  taking  of  New  Orleans,  the  force  of  Farragut  is  ordered  to  proceed. 
I  regret  the  Army  does  not  work  more  kindly  with  you,  or  at  least  that 
General  Halleck  seems  to  pass  over  your  services,  and  to  notify  those  un 
der  him  that  they  are  not  under  your  orders.  Certainly,  then,  you  are 
not  under  his  orders.  The  Navy  will  work  its  way  anyhow.  We  are 
expecting  in  a  few  days  the  great  battle  at  Yorktown  to  come  oif.  God 


Letter  of  Sympathy.  309 

grant  us  victory.  If  we  are  successful,  I  think  the  war  will  come  to  a 
close.  I  have  been  so  pressed  with  work  that  I  have  no  time  to  think 
of  any  private  affairs.  The  Secretary  puts  a  heavy  load  upon  us,  which  I 
will  try  to  bear  to  the  best  of  my  ability.  You  are  considered  by  the 
community  the  man  of  the  war.  Nothing  can  wipe  that  out.  The  glo 
rious  news  from  New  Orleans  through  Secesh  source  is  refreshing.  I 
have  been  at  wTork  getting  up  iron-clad  boats  for  the  rivers — don't  know 
their  requirements,  but  I  know  it  is  impossible  to  shield  them  properly 
with  iron  and  have  light  draft  of  water ;  so  we  must  do  the  best  we  can. 
"  Yours  very  truly  as  always.  In  haste, 

"JOSEPH  SMITH." 

A  letter  of  sympathy  was  also  received  at  this  time  from  his 
former  pastor  at  Brooklyn,  Bev.  Dr.  Budington,  from  which 
we  extract  the  following : 

"  I  have  washed  to  express  to  you  my  sympathy  on  the  occasion  of 
the  death  of  your  dear  Willie,  an  event  which  was  announced  to  me  on 
Sabbath  morning  upon  entering  the  pulpit,  and  which  led  me  to  ask  the 
prayers  of  the  congregation  on  your  behalf.  Be  assured  you  have  them, 
and  that  the  hearts  of  our  people  have  followed  your  late  series  of  suc 
cesses.  You  know  that  you  are  surrounded  by  the  thanks  and  admira 
tion  of  your  countrymen,  and  it  can  not  fail  to  be  a  solace  and  satisfaction 
to  you,  in  the  discharge  of  your  high  trust,  at  this  solemn  crisis  of  our 
country's  history ;  yet  outward  glory,  as  it  can  not  shield  the  heart  from 
the  shafts  of  affliction,  so  it  can  not  prevent  an  aching  heart  nor  eradicate 
a  pang.  I  rejoice  to  know  that  for  this  you  can  go  to  One  who  is  able,  and 
will  do  for  you  what  the  world  with  its  best  wishes  can  not.  May  you 
find  Him  unspeakably  near  and  precious  to  you  in  the  endurance  of  this 
great  and  unlooked-for  bereavement ;  and  while  God  is  filling  your  largest 
ambition  for  service  to  your  country,  may  the  benefits  of  a  sanctified  af 
fliction  defend  you  from  the  temptations  of  worclly  applause,  and  keep 
undisturbed  the  equipoise  of  a  soul  truly  consecrated  to  God,  and  holding 
earthly  distinctions  in  their  true  relations  to  eternal  issues.  At  the  same 
time  you  were  bereaved,  General  Casey,  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  a 
member  of  our  church,  lost  his  wife  in  Washington,  and  public  prayers 
were  offered  for  both  of  you  at  the  same  time.  Amid  the  deep  and  wide 
spread  sorrows  of  our  country  in  this  war,  it  seems  to  be  God's  will  that 
our  leaders,  who  are  leading  us  out  of  it  so  triumphantly,  should  them 
selves  be  partakers  of  tribulation." 


3io  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

The  matter  of  being  relieved  of  his  active  duties  by  Captain 
Davis  was  at  this  time  the  uppermost  question,  and  he  wishes 
to  have  the  exact  grounds  of  that  action  (unselfish  in  its  mo 
tives  on  his  part)  clearly  understood,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  fol 
lowing  private  communication  to  the  Secretary : 

"FLAG-STEAMER  'BENTON,'  OFF  FORT  PILLOW,  | 
April  29, 1862.  ) 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — Your  unofficial  note  of  the  23d,  referring  to  Captain 
Davis  being  ordered  to  report  to  me,  but  on  no  account  to  relieve  me  in 
command,  has  been  received.  As  you  will  perceive  from  my  letter  of 
yesterday,  I  have  had  no  idea  of  leaving  the  squadron  at  any  time,  unless 
the  Department  should  consider  me,  with  my  wound  and  its  effects,  less 
efficient  than  some  other  officer  who  might  be  chosen  to  relieve  me.  I 
placed  my  remaining  or  leaving  solely  on  public  considerations — what 
would  best  promote  the  cause  of  the  Union — not  on  private  grounds ;  for 
in  former  letters  I  stated  that  I  should  remain,  and  give  my  life  to  the 
vindication  of  the  flag. 

"  I  am  pained  to  see  myself  represented  in  the  papers  as  having  applied 
to  be  detached  on  account  of  my  wound,  implying  that  I  want  to  leave 
the  command  on  personal  grounds.  This  is  doing  me  great  injustice ; 
and  may  I  beg  of  you  to  have  this  impression  removed,  by  its  denial,  as 
publicly  as  the  misrepresentation  has  been  made  ?  for  I  would  far  rather 
die  in  the  harness  from  sickness  or  a  shot,  than  to  leave  my  post  in  face 
of  the  enemy  on  personal  grounds.  This  would  be  so  unofficer-like,  if 
not  even  pusillanimous,  that  I  can  not  quietly  rest  under  the  imputation. 

"  I  have  no  idea  of  leaving  now  to  go  up  to  Cairo  or  St.  Louis ;  still  I 
am  happy  to  learn  that  Captain  Davis  is  coming  out,  as  I  am  really  un 
able  to  cope,  in  my  ill-health,  with  the  heavy  duties  of  flag-officer,  or 
ganized  and  conducted  as  this  service  is,  involving  far  more  work  and 
care  than  a  regular  squadron  elsewhere. 

"  Several  deserters  came  to  us  yesterday,  and  informed  me  that  thirteen 
rebel  gun-boats  below  were  to  attack  us  at  3  o'clock  this  morning,  six  or 
seven  of  which  were  rams.  We  made  some  further  preparations  by  tying 
four  gun-boats  stern  up  stream  to  the  banks,  so  as  to  bring  the  head  down 
stream  ready  for  a  fight ;  the  Benton  being  farthest  down  toward  the  forts, 
and  where  the  gun-boats  and  rams  would  approach.  We  were  on  our 
arms  all  night,  ready  for  a  hard  fight,  but  the  rebels  did  not  make  their 
appearance.  This  morning  three  more  deserters  came,  and  report  that  the 


Evacuation  of  Fort  Pillow.  3 1 1 

rebels  were  ready  to  make  the  attack,  when  a  council  of  war  was  held, 
and  it  was  voted  to  be  impracticable  to  make  the  attack.  Still  we  are  as 
well  prepared,  night  and  day,  as  our  means  will  allow  us  to  be,  and  our 
officers  and  men  are  in  good  heart. 

"  The  deserters  paid  me  the  compliment  to  say  that  my  name  was  as 
much  among  them  as  Beauregard's — but  we  know  deserters  are  not  to 
be  depended  upon  in  their  statements.  I  only  report  this  in  a  private 
letter,  as  you  kindly  alluded  to  the  prestige  of  my  name ;  but  I  am  now 
but  a  comparatively  weak  officer.  I  am  not  what  I  have  been  even ; 
still  I  know  that  I  possess  the  confidence  of  the  flotilla.  You  will  excuse 
my  egotism. 

"  I  seriously  thought  of  running  the  blockade  last  night,  and  attacking 
the  rebels'  gun-boats  and  rams ;  but  now  it  is  well  we  did  not.  A  disas 
ter  would  have  exposed  the  upper  rivers.  Our  means  render  our  position 
very  embarrassing ;  but  I  look  to  Him  who  reigns  in  all  worlds  for  wis 
dom  and  strength  to  do  my  duty.  Excuse  my  hasty  letter. 

"  With  great  respect  and  esteem,  your  obliged  friend  and  servant, 

"  A.  H.  FOOTE. 

"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles." 

"  Fort  Pillow,  afterward  Fort  Wright,  was  on  the  first  Chick- 
asaw  bluff,  about  eighty  miles  above  Memphis,  and  was  in 
command  of  General  Yillepique,  a  Creole  of  New  Orleans,  who 
was  educated  at  West  Point  as  an  engineer,  and  was  regarded 
as  second  only  to  Beanregard.  The  fort  was  a  very  strong 
one,  and  the  entire  works  occupied  a  line  of  seven  miles  in  cir 
cumference.  Jeff.  Thompson  was  there  with  about  three  thou 
sand  troops,  and  Hollins  had  collected  there  a  considerable 
flotilla  of  gun-boats."*  Such  was  the  problem,  after  he  had 
driven  the  boastful  Hollins  under  the  guns  of  the  fort,  that 
Foote  was  left,  alone  and  unaided,  to  solve.  But  he  was  not 
to  have  that  satisfaction,  for  the  problem  solved  itself,  after  the 
flight  of  Beauregard  from  Corinth,  when  the  garrison,  on  the 
night  of  the  4th  of  June,  evacuated  this  strong  position.  In 
the  mean  time,  on  the  22d  of  April,  Captain  C.  H.  Davis,  who 

*  Lossing's  "  Civil  War  in  America,"  vol.  ii.,  p.  296. 


312  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

had  done  good  service  with  Dupont  at  Port  Royal,  was,  at 
Foote's  own  request,  appointed  to  assist  him.  Although  Foote 
retained  the  command  of  the  flotilla  until  June  17 — so  that 
Fort  Pillow  was  actually  captured  while  he  was  still  in  com 
mand — he  left  the  fleet  in  Davis's  hands  as  early  as  the  9th 
of  May.  His  letter  to  Davis  was  as  follows : 

"FLAG-SHIP  ^BENTON,'  OFF  FORT  PILLOW,  ) 
May  9, 1862.  ) 

"  SIR, — In  consequence  of  the  state  of  my  health,  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  has  directed  you  to  report  to  me  for  the  purpose  of  performing 
such  duties  as  the  circumstances  of  the  flotilla  require. 

"  By  authority  of  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  and  the  advice  of  a  board 
of  surgeons,  I  leave  the  flotilla  this  day  temporarily,  for  the  purpose  of  re 
cruiting  my  health  at  Cleveland,  Ohio ;  and  you  will  be  pleased,  during 
my  absence,  to  perform  all  the  duties  of  the  flag-officer;  and  as  such, 
and  being  hereby  invested  with  flag-officer's  authority,  all  officers  and 
others  attached  to  and  connected  with  this  flotilla  will  obey  your  orders 
and  act  under  your  instructions. 

"  I  am,  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  (Signed)  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 

"  Commodore  Charles  H.  Davis,  U.  S.  N.,  commanding  pro  tern.  ) 
U.  S.  Naval  Forces,  Western  Waters."  j 

Soon  after  this  date,  Hollins's  flotilla  came  out  to  challenge 
combat,  and  after  a  brilliant  fight,  in  which  Commodore  Davis 
showed  great  skill  as  a  commander,  the  rebel  boats  were  sig 
nally  defeated  with  heavy  loss,  although  on  our  side  the  brave 
Captain  Stembel,  of  the  Cincinnati,  was  severely  wounded, 
and  his  vessel  sunk.  For  three  weeks  more  the  two  fleets  lay 
watching  each  other  at  Fort  Pillow,  momentarily  awaiting  an 
encounter,  when  suddenly  the  fort  was  abandoned  and  the 
rebel  gun-boats  left.  Reinforced  by  Ellet's  "ram  fleet,"  the 
National  vessels  followed  down  the  river,  and  Memphis  was 
attacked  by  them  on  the  6th  of  June,  and  another  desperate 
engagement  with  the  enemy  took  place,  in  which  the  powerful 
Benton  distinguished  herself,  giving  the  finishing  blow  to  the 


Fall  of  Memphis.  313 


fight.  In  this  purely  naval  combat  the  rebel  fleet  was  badly 
cut  up,  there  being  but  one  sole  survivor,  the  Van  Dorn, 
which  escaped ;  and  Memphis,  at  the  demand  of  Davis,  was 
forced  to  surrender  to  the  gun-boats.  This  battle  brought  to 
an  end  the  naval  power  of  the  rebels  on  the  Mississippi.  We 
now  return  to  him  who,  in  feebleness  and  pain,  had  been  com 
pelled  to  forego  these  triumphs,  which  his  foresight  and  patient 
skill  had  prepared,  and  which,  as  far  as  human  prescience  went, 
he  had  fully  anticipated  for  himself.  Notwithstanding  all  he 
had  done,  the  disproportion  between  his  aspirations  and  his 
achievements,  to  so  generously  ambitious  a  nature,  could  not 
but  be  a  source  of  keen  disappointment.  But  he  was  a  thor 
oughly  Christian  man,  and  no  loss  of  this  kind  could  trouble 
him  overmuch. 


CHAPTEK  XXIV. 

CORRESPONDENCE  AT  CLEVELAND. — DETACHED  FROM  THE  COM 
MAND  OF  THE  WESTERN  FLOTILLA. 

WHEN  Commodore  Foote  left  the  scene  of  action  on  the 
Mississippi,  he  went  at  once  to  Cleveland,  Ohio,  the  home  of 
his  brother,  Hon.  John  A.  Foote,  where  he  was  joined  by  his 
wife,  and  where  he  would  have  quiet  and  rest,  but  at  the  same 
time  could  exercise  a  general  supervision  over  the  fleet,  and 
receive  the  reports  of  his  officers.  The  citizens  of  Cleveland 
welcomed  him  among  them  with  great  delight,  tendering  him 
a  public  reception  and  the  hospitalities  of  the  city.  In  his  re 
ply  to  their  communication,  he  said  : 

"  Sympathizing  as  you  do  with  my  physical  condition  and  impaired 
health,  and  sharing  with  me,  as  you  so  feelingly  express,  my  desire  to 
rejoin  my  command  at  the  earliest  possible  moment,  I  know  you  will  per 
mit  me  to  decline  these  distinguished  honors. 

"  I  should  be  as  able  to  renew  the  fight  with  my  flotilla  as  to  be  the 
recipient  of  your  favors ;  and  I  know  too  well  the  intelligent  citizens 
of  Cleveland  to  doubt  for  a  moment  that  they  would  esteem  this  my 
duty. 

"  If  I  were  in  better  health,  and  had  completed  the  mission  with  which 
I  am  charged,  nothing  would  give  me  greater  pleasure.  We  are,  however, 
in  the  midst  of  our  work,  and  my  brave  comrades  may  this  day  be  en 
gaged  in  deadly  strife  for  the  vindication  of  our  flag ;  therefore  I  could 
not,  consistently  with  my  views  of  duty,  accept  your  kind  invitation." 

Commodore  Foote's  relations  to  the  flotilla  now  became  a 
matter  of  earnest  thought  to  him,  and  many  letters  passed  be 
tween  him  and  Secretary  Welles.  Mr.  Welles  was  willing  to 
grant  him  a  temporary  release,  but  not  willing  that  he  should 


About  giving  up  the  Command.  315 

be  wholly  detached  from  the  command.     He  says  in  one  of 
his  letters,  dated  April  21 : 

"  Your  life  and  services  are  too  valuable  to  be  put  in  jeopardy,  even  if 
great  events  are  dependent  on  your  continued  active  duty.  I  do  not 
think  it  necessary  or  expedient,  however,  to  detach  you  from  the  com 
mand  of  the  flotilla  :  you  must  have  a  respite. 

"  I  propose,  therefore,  to  send  Captain  Davis  to  you,  agreeably  to  your 
request,  to  relieve  you  from  active  physical  and  mental  exertion.  He  can 
take  temporary  charge  while  you  are  off  duty,  and  with  the  aid  of  the 
skill  and  experience  of  Lieutenant-Commanding  P-helps,  and  your  general 
direction  and  advice,  I  trust  matters  will  go  forward  efficiently  and  well. 
Unless  it  is  absolutely  indispensable,  I  should  be  reluctant  to  have  you 
leave  a  position  where  you  have  earned  such  just  renown,  and  where 
the  whole  country  desires  you  to  remain.  No  other  man  can  inspire  the 
people  with  equal  confidence  in  the  position  you  occupy ;  and  it  is  no 
disparagement  to  others  to  say  no  one  has  the  experience  and  right  com 
prehension  that  you  have  of  the  required  service.  I  can  not  express  to 
you  how  much  I  have  been  gratified  with  your  labors  and  efforts.  They 
have  given  heart  to  the  whole  country,  and  I,  personally,  have  been  sus 
tained  and  encouraged  by  them." 

Again  he  says  (April.  23) : 

"  I  mentioned  that  Captain  Davis  would  be  ordered  to  report  to  you, 
but  on  no  account  do  I  wish  to  detach  you  from  the  position  you  occupy. 
If  you  deem  it  necessary  to  go  to  Cairo  or  St.  Louis,  you  will  still  remain 
flag-officer  in  command,  and  Captain  Davis  will  be  next  in  command 
under  you.  Your  name  and  prestige  I  deem  important,  and  therefore  do 
not  wish  the  rebels  to  know  that  you  are  disabled  even.  Let  the  enemy 
know  that  they  have  you  to  combat  them." 

When  Foote  reached  Cleveland,  letters  from  the  Secretary 
followed  him,  full  of  friendly  expression,  and  yet  earnest  that 
he  should  recover  his  health  entirely  and  thoroughly,  in  order 
to  resume  his  command.  Knowing  his  spirited  and  excitable 
temperament,  he  warns  him  against  allowing  the  deeds  of 
Farragut  to  destroy  his  rest,  and  to  incite  him  to  a  rash  and 


3 1 6  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

hasty  resumption  of  active  duty ;  but  urges  him  to  get  well,  to 
fight  the  enemy  again  in  his  gun-boats. 

On  the  other  hand,  his  good  old  friend  Commodore  Smith 
counsels  him  to  give  up  at  once.  His  letter  is  characteristic 

for  its  blunt  sincerity : 

"  May  30, 1862. 

"  MY  DEAK  FOOTE, — I  have  yours  of  the  27th  inst.  You  ask  for  my  ad 
vice  ;  I  give  it  cheerfully.  Take  care  of  yourself.  You  have  done  enough. 
Your  duty  is  to  your  country,  and  to  yourself  and  family.  As  the  sum 
mer  will  bear  hard  upon  you,  even  if  you  recruit,  I  would  not  run  any 
risk  of  the  climate  in  your  present  state  of  health.  You  require  repose 
and  retirement ;  therefore  I  would  retire  and  go  home,  and  leave  Davis — 
who  was  your  choice,  not  mine — as  your  successor.  Every  body  knows 
that  you  encountered  every  kind  of  obstacle,  and  surmounted  them  all. 
•Wlriie was  here  for  months  preparing  his  squadron  and  expedi 
tion,  and  had  the  choice  of  ships  and  the  pick  of  the  Navy  List,  you  were 
sent  off  without  notice  or  much  consultation,  and  officers  sent  to  you  not 
of  your  selection ;  funds  and  men  were  not  furnished ;  you  were  thwarted 
in  many  of  your  plans  by  others ;  and  yet  you  overcame  all  with  your 
tact  and  talent,  and  won  a  glorious  victory.  After  all  this,  it  will  be  an 
unthankful  task  for  you  to  return  to  the  flotilla,  and  contend  with  a  sum 
mer  climate  on  the  river,  in  your  state  of  body  and  mind.  Therefore  re 
linquish  it,  and  let  others  take  a  hand  and  do  what  you  have  left  undone 
— which  is  not  much,  I  apprehend,  in  the  way  of  fighting. 

"  You  are  not  bound  to  4  die  in  harness.'  Nobody  would  thank  you 
for  doing  so  in  your  present  condition,  and,  as  I  said  before,  the  country 
may  require  you  another  day.*  We  are  in  perilous  times,  great  events 
are  in  embryo.  God  only  knows  what  is  to  be  the  end.  We  hope  for  a 
peace,  but  it  does  not  appear  to  me  to  be  at  hand  to-day  or  to-morrow. 
I  have  just  seen  the  Secretary.  He  says  you  had  better  remain  where 
you  are  for  the  present ;  that  you  can  come  East  or  go  where  you  please, 
but  prefers  to  have  your  name  cover  the  flotilla,  and  so  I  suppose  you 
must  keep  to  your  tethers.  My  kind  regards  to  Mrs.  Foote. 

"  Yours,  as  always,  in  haste,  JOSEPH  W.  SMITH." 

There  is  an  interesting  series  of  letters  from  Lieutenant- 
Commanding  S.  L.  Phelps  to  Commodore  Foote  while  the 

*  Referring  to  war  with  England,  which  the  writer  strongly  anticipated. 


Correspondence.  317 


latter  was  in  Cleveland,  reporting  the  movements  of  the  gun 
boats,  some  of  which  we  give  in  full,  as  they  contain  much  of 
the  history  of  the  fleet  with  which  Foote  was  so  vitally  con 
nected.  The  first  letter  recounts  the  naval  fight  at  Fort  Pil 
low: 

"  U.  S.  GUN-BOAT  '  BENTON,'  OFF  FORT  PILLOW,  j 
May  11,  1862.  ) 

"  FLAG-OFFICER  FOOTE,  U.  S.  K,  Cleveland,  Ohio : 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — You  will  have  heard  of  the  fight  yesterday  morning. 
Eight  rebel  gun-boats  came  up  to  the  point,  and  four  or  five  of  them 
proceeded  at  once  toward  the  Cincinnati,  then  covering  the  niortar- 
boat,  one  of  the  rebel  boats,  with  masts,  being  considerably  in  advance. 
Captain  Stembel  in  the  most  gallant  manner  steamed  up,  rounded  to, 
and,  opening  fire,  stood  down  for  the  rebel.  As  he  approached,  the 
fire  was  withheld,  the  ram  striking  Stembel's  vessel  in  the  quarter, 
and  swinging  broadside  to,  when,  the  muzzles  absolutely  against  the 
rebel  boat,  a  broadside  was  poured  into  her,  making  a  terrible  crashing 
in  her  timbers.  The  rebel,  swinging  clear,  made  down  stream,  with  a 
parting  salute  of  other  guns,  in  a  helpless  condition.  By  this  time  the 
Benton,  Mound  City,  and  Carondelet  were  far  enough  down,  half-way  at 
least,  to  Stembel's  assistance,  to  open  an  effective  fire.  The  Pittsburg, 
not  yet  clear  of  the  bank,  and  the  Cairo  just  sending  a  boat  out  to  cast 
off  her  hawsers.  The  St.  Louis  came  down  pretty  well.  Two  rams 
were  making  for  the  Cincinnati,  and  once  again  hit  her  in  the  stern, 
receiving  the  fire  of  the  stern  guns.  That  boat  struck  Stembel  twice, 
doing  little  damage,  but  using  sharpshooters  to  such  effect  as  to  danger 
ously  wound  Stembel,  and  the  fourth  master,  Mr.  Reynolds,  and  one  man 
in  the  leg.  By  this  time  we  were  in  their  midst,  and  I  had  the  satisfac 
tion  to  blow  up  the  boilers  of  the  ram  that  last  hit  the  Cincinnati  by  a 
shot  from  our  port  bow  42-pound  rifle.  I  fired  it  deliberately  with  that 
view,  and  when  the  ram  was  trying  to  make  another  hit.  Another  ram 
had  now  hit  the  Mound  City  in  the  bow,  and  had  received  the  fire  of 
every  gun  of  that  vessel  in  the  swinging  that  followed  the  contact.  We 
interposed  between  another  and  the  Mound  City,  and  the  fellow,  afraid  to 
hit  us,  backed  off",  where  he  also  blew  up  from  a  shot  hitting  a  steam- 
pipe  or  a  cylinder.  All  the  rams  drifted  off  disabled,  and  the  first  one 
that  blew  up  could  not  have  had  a  soul  remaining  alive  on  board,  for 
the  explosion  was  terrific.  We  could  have  secured  two  or  three  of  them 


3 1 8  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

had  we  had  steam-power  to  do  so;  but,  as  it  was,  we  saw  them  drift 
down  helpless  under  the  fort,  and  one  is  said  to  have  sunk  in  deep  wa 
ter.  The  mortar-boat  men  acted  with  great  gallantry,  firing  away  to  the 
end.  The  rebels  fired  two  32-pound  shots  through  the  mortar-boat,  and 
two  volleys  of  musketry  into  her,  without  hurting  a  man. 

"  The  Mound  City  had  her  bow  pretty  much  wrenched  off,  and  was  run 
into  the  shoal  opposite  where  we  had  been  lying.  The  Cincinnati  ran  to 
the  bank  below  where  we  lay  when  you  left,  and  sank  in  eleven  feet  of 
water.  The  Champion  steamer  fortunately  arrived,  having  on  board  a 
20-inch  steam-pump,  and  the  Mound  City  is  now  afloat,  but  greatly  dam 
aged.  The  Cincinnati  will  be  raised  in  twenty-four  hours.  My  plan  of 
suspending  logs  is  immediately  to  be  tried.  The  wounded  of  the  squad 
ron  are  five ;  killed,  none.  Stembel  we  hope  will  recover.  He  did  splen 
didly.  The  loss  of  the  rebels  must  be  very  heavy.  Their  vessels  were 
literally  torn  to  pieces,  and  some  had  holes  in  their  sides  through  which 
#  man  could  walk.  Those  that  blew  up — it  makes  me  shudder  to  think 
of  them.  I  have  written  very  hastily,  knowing  that  you  would  find  ex 
cuses  for  my  style  in  remembering  by  what  busy  circumstances  we  are  sur 
rounded  just  now ;  and  I  am  nervous  from  an  unwonted  amount  of  exer 
tion.  I  count  off  the  days,  anxious  for  them  to  roll  round,  when  you 
will  return  with  the  Eastport  with  some  (steam)  power.  Come  to  the 
squadron  with  your  flag  flying. 

"  All  hands  went  into  the  fight  with  a  will.  We  have  no  news  from 
below.  Colonel  Fitch  will  land  his  force  in  the  morning. 

"  This,  I  believe,  is  the  first  purely  naval  fight  of  the  war.  May  heaven 
bless  you,  and  restore  you  to  us  in  health  very  soon. 

"  Respectfully  and  very  truly  yours,  S.  L.  PHELPS." 

"  U.  S.  GUN-BOAT  '  BENTON,'  OFF  FORT  PILLOW,  ] 
May  17,  1862.  j 

"Mr  DEAR  SIR, — Since  my  hurried  letter  after  the  fight  the  other 
morning,  I  have  been  absolutely  unable  to  write.  The  Cincinnati  was 
only  raised  night  before  last,  and  got  off  for  Cairo. 

"  The  bell  boat  had  no  crew,  and  we  had  trouble  about  the  machine. 
Mr.  Hoel  was  left  alone.  One  master  killed,  and  two  sick.  We  ran  the 
Benton  to  the  stern  of  the  Cincinnati,  and  remained  there  till  she  left,  and 
I  assisted  Mr.  Hoel,  besides  getting  logs,  chains,  railroad  iron,  etc.,  with 
which  to  secure  the  boats  against  rams.  We  are  putting  railroad  iron 
about  the  stern  of  this  boat,  which  is  her  weak  part.  General  Quimby  is 


Correspondence.  319 


coming  down  with  some  artillery,  cavalry,  and  infantry,  and  a  combined 
attack  is  to  be  made  on  the  fort  in  about  three  days'  time.  Every  thing 
has  been  quiet  about  the  fort  and  where  the  gun-boats  lie  below.  Two 
of  their  rams  are  missing.  Deserters  say  that  one  hundred  and  eight 
were  buried  from  their  vessels  after  the  fight.  A  good  many  deserters 
and  refugees  are  coming  in  and  passing  up  to  Cairo— some  thirty  to  fifty 
per  day. 

"  We  are  now  anchored  across  the  river  a  little  below  where  we  lay 
when  you  left.  Captain  Dove  is  here  with  the  Louisville.  Now  we  have 
the  Cairo,  Pittsburg,  and  Louisville  to  count  among  the  six  vessels  of  the 
fleet.  Kilty  did  handsomely  in  the  fight.  Neither  the  Pittsburg  nor 
Cairo  got  into  it,  and  the  St.  Louis  can  hardly  be  said  to  have  done  so. 
Commodore  Davis  has  got  the  run  of  matters  very  well.  The  plan  of 
attack  proposed  is  the  old  one — land  on  the  bluff,  open  heavy  mortar 
fire,  and  follow  up  with  attack  by  gun-boats.  What  the  rebel  boats  can 
do  remains  to  be  seen.  The  great  craft  building  in  Memphis  has  been 
taken  up  the  Yazoo  to  be  finished,  and  a  mechanic  from  there  says  it  will 
be  fifteen  days  before  she  will  be  ready.  We  must  catch  her,  then,  be 
fore  she  can  be  fitted  out.  I  have  not  time  this  morning,  being  so  much 
interrupted,  to  write  about  all  the  little  matters  of  the  fleet,  of  which  I 
know  you  would  like  to  be  informed.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  things  go 
on  much  as  before.  I  miss  you  a  great  deal ;  though,  of  course,  with 
such  a  gentleman  as  Captain  Davis,  there  could  be  nothing  but  the  most 
agreeable  relations.  Captain  Pennock  writes  that  the  Eastport  will  be 
ready  in  thirty  days.  I  trust  then  you  may  be  entirely  recovered,  and 
come  to  realize  a  little  pleasant  cruising  in  what  will  be  the  dashing 
vessel  of  the  fleet.  Thirty  days  make  but  a  little  count,  and  will  soon 
pass.  I  am  respectfully  and  very  truly  yours,  S.  L.  PHELPS." 

"  U.  S.  GUN-BOAT  '  BENTON,'  NEAR  FORT  PILLOW,  > 
May  21,  1862.  f 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — I  had  the  pleasure  to  receive  your  kind  letter  writ 
ten  from  Cleveland  several  days  since.  I  am  exceedingly  gratified  with 
its  contents,  and  reciprocate  with  a  warm  heart  the  friendship  it  evinces. 
How  great  has  been  the  error  of  all  naval  commanders  who  have  relied 
upon  power  rather  than  upon  generous  consideration  and  sympathy  to 
develop  and  arouse  the  energies  and  active  co-operation  of  subordinates 
upon  which  the  superior's  success  so  much  depends. 

"  I  have  been  really  unfortunate  in  my  efforts  in  writing  to  you.    This. 

Y 


3?o  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

is  ray  third  note — the  two  first  written  in  great  haste,  at  times  when  I 
really  had  my  hands  full.  Now  I  write  with  a  sore  and  heavy  head. 
Day  before  yesterday,  while  on  board  the  De  Soto,  looking  to  their  way 
of  getting  guns  on  board,  a  spar  broke,  the  pieces  falling  some  fifteen 
feet.  I  found  myself  knocked  over  and  my  head  badly  cut.  I  have  suf 
fered  with  headache  and  nausea  a  good  deal  since,  but  these  are  becom 
ing  less.  I  am  thankful  to  have  escaped  so  easily,  and,  for  me,  I  have 
been  very  patient. 

"  Some  four  of  the  so-called  '  rams '  are  here,  and  one  or  two  more  are 
expected  to  arrive  soon.  General  Quimby  came  down  yesterday  with  a 
battery  of  artillery  and  some  infantry  and  cavalry.  I  think  now  the  plan 
adopted  in  the  proposed  attack  will  be  what  you  and  General  Pope  had 
agreed  to  undertake.  There  is  a  flag  of  truce  here  this  morning,  mak 
ing  bitter  complaint  that  two  of  the  two  hundred  and  two  exchanged 
prisoners  sent  down  by  the  Army  for  the  commodore  to  deliver  at  Fort 
Pillow  were  sick  of  the  small-pox.  Nothing,  of  course,  was  known 
of  the  condition  of  the  men  by  the  commodore.  They  were  sent  down 
in  the  boat  in  which  they  came  from  Cairo.  Lieutenant  McGunngle 
now  has  the  St.  Louis.  Mr.  Erben  is  adrift  again.  Lieutenant  Hall, 
who  went  to  New  York  by  summons  of  the  Retiring  Board,  has  returned 

to  Cairo.     Captain came  down  to  the  fleet,  arriving  just  in  time 

to  witness  the  fight,  and  applied  to  be  sent  to  Cairo  to  superintend  work 
on  the  Eastport,  or  to  St.  Louis  to  perform  similar  duty,  and  thither  he 
has  gone.  This  looks  as  if  pressure  of  public  opinion  in  Boston  sent 
him  out.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  sickness.  I  shall  have  to  stop,  as  I  am 
increasing  my  headache.  There  are  many  inquiries  for  the  news  from 
you.  You  carry  with  you  the  earnest  wishes  of  the  entire  flotilla  for  your 
speedy  recovery  and  quick  return.  While  I,  who  must  needs  feel  your 
absence  more  than  all  others,  desire  greatly  to  see  you  return  to  finish  the 
work  that  is  of  right  yours  to  do,  I  am  exceedingly  anxious  that  you 
should  not  return  too  soon.  The  climate  is  a  trying  one,  and  you  should 
feel  quite  sure  that  you  are  entirely  recovered  before  you  come. 

"  Respectfully  and  most  sincerely  your  friend,          S.  L.  PHELPS." 

"  U.  S.  GUN-BOAT  '  BENTON,'  NEAR  FORT  PILLOW,  ) 
May  22, 1862.  j 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — This  morning  I  had  the  pleasure  to  receive  your  most 
welcome  letter  of  the  19th  inst,  and  avail  myself  now  of  a  quiet  mo 
ment,  before  going  to  bed,  to  give  you  what  little  gossip  I  can  recall  re- 


Correspondence.  321 


lating  to  the  fleet,  that  may  serve  to  interest  you,  and  to  thank  you  for 
your  letter.  I  am  feeling  very  comfortable  for  the  time,  the  doctor  having 
just  bathed  my  sore  head,  and  put  me  in  good-humor  for  the  nonce.  I 
have  been  about  a  good  deal  to-day,  and  by  to-morrow  I  shall  be  myself 
again,  ready  for  any  thing  but  long  exposure  to  the  sun. 

"  The  Mound  City  is  now  here,  ready  for  service  again,  and  the  Cincin 
nati  will  be  ready  in  about  one  week.  It  is  strange  how  that  inevitable 
month  in  the  case  of  the  Eastport  drags  its  slow  length  along;  never 
beginning — always  one  day  in  advance  of  present  time.  To-day's  mail 
informs  us  that  she  will  be  ready  in  one  month — so  did  the  mail  on  the 
22d  of  April  last.  General  Quimby  examined  the  river  bank  opposite 
Fulton  to-day,  and  the  guns  have  arrived  to  put  in  battery  there,  so  that 
by  the  day  after  to-morrow  we  may  hope  to  have  something  doing. 
The  commodore  sent  Captain  McGunngle  down  with  the  party  reconnoi 
tring.  Seven  gun-boats  are  reported  at  Fulton.  Driving  those  and  the 
rams  away  with  a  battery,  so  as  not  to  be  in  our  way  while  under  the 
fort,  is,  of  course,  leaving  us  free  for  the  main  work.  Some  of  the  boats 
are  secured  to  a  considerable  extent  about  the  bow  and  stern,  and  all 
have  logs  suspended  along  the  sides  where  there  is  no  plating.  We  are 
putting  railroad  iron  on  the  stern  and  quarters  of  this  vessel.  The  rebels 
have  dismounted  nearly  every  gun  on  their  vessels,  depending  on  small- 
arms  and  rams.  Jeff.  Thompson,  the  nightmare  of  every  port  comman 
der  on  the  Mississippi,  is  the  commodore  of  the  rebel  fleet  just  below  us. 
Yet  the  commandant  at  New  Madrid  this  night  lies  in  an  unquiet  bed, 
assured  that  the  immortal  Jeff,  is  after  him  with  those  naked  and  starved 
swamp-rats.  The  Taylor*  and  Lexington  are  forced  out  of  the  Tennessee 
by  low  water,  and  will  join  the  fleet  here,  being  much  needed.  Will  you 
believe  it,  application  was  made  for  them  to  remain  at  Cairo  to  protect 
that  place,  there  being  considerable  apprehension  ?  The  Conestoga  is  to 
look  after  Hickman  and  Columbus,  and  will  be  within  call  of  Cairo. 
Affairs  go  on  much  as  usual  with  the  squadron.  Some  few  changes 
among  the  lower  officers  caused  by  sickness.  Mr.  Parker  has  gone  as 
fourth  master  to  the  £ouisville.  Mr.  Reed  has  applied  for  a  master-mate- 
ship  on  board  the  Great  Western.  I  suggest  sending  Mr.  Wilkins  there, 
and  keeping  Mr.  Reed  here  as  the  best  of  the  two  for  our  purposes.  Cap- 

*  This  was  the  original  name  of  the  boat,  which  was  called  after  Gen 
eral  and  President  Taylor ;  but  toward  the  close  of  the  war  she  began  to 
be  called  the  Tyler,  which  makes  some  confusion  even  in  official  reports. 
We  have  chosen  to  call  her  uniformly  by  her  original  title. 


322  Life  of  A dmira I  Foote. 

tain  Walke  I  have  not  seen  for  several  days.  Little  Thompson  is  very 
busy  getting  his  vessel  secured  so  that  when  the  rebels  '  come  around  the 
Point '  again  he  can  '  pitch  into  them.'  Of  the  Cairo  nothing  is  known, 
except  that  she  was  heard  of  to-day  as  wanting  coal,  being  about  out  of 
that  commodity,  and  pretty  much  ashore  for  provisions.  The  St.  Louis  I 
am  satisfied  will  now  be  found  up  to  time  every  where.  That  hospital- 
boat  has  not  yet  come  down.  It  takes  so  long  to  do  any  thing !  There 
are  a  good  many  sick — in  this  vessel  more  than  one  in  ten. 

"  Sanford  is  not  here,  having  gone  to  look  after  the  ordnance  at  Cairo 
and  St.  Louis,  and  now  is  gone  to  the  latter  place.  I  can  not,  therefore, 
deliver  your  messages.  I,  too,  wish  an  exception  could  be  made  in  his 
case  without  a  dangerous  and  ruinous  precedent.  I  received  notice  from 
Mr.  Grimes,  through  Mr.  Whittlesey,  of  the  action  of  the  Naval  Committee 
on  the  nominations  before  it  was  published.  I  should  most  certainly  let 

's  vanity  have  full  swing.    It  will  yet  hang  him.     He  only  follows 

his  master  in  attacks  on  the  flotilla.  We  can  afford  to  let  both  go  unno 
ticed.  If  familiar  with  Sancho's  '  saws,'  you  will  remember  one  applica 
ble  to  his  case. 

"  May  23. — There  is  nothing  new  this  morning.  Mrs.  Phelps  will  prob 
ably  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  in  Cleveland,  as  she  is  about  leaving 
Paducah  to  go  to  my  father's  in  Ohio.  I  trust  you  are  improving  as 
rapidly  and  surely  as  the  universal  desire  of  the  flotilla  would  have  you. 
You  could  wish  no  more. 

"  Very  respectfully  and  truly  yours,  S.  L.  PHELPS." 

"  U.  S.  FLAG-SHIP  '  BENTON,'  OFF  FOKT  PILLOW,  | 
May  28,  1862.  ) 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — I  was  a  good  deal  disappointed  this  morning  not  to 
have  heard  from  you  either  directly  or  through  Commodore  Davis.  I, 
however,  have  seen  a  paragraph  taken  from  the  Cleveland  papers  stating 
that  you  are  improving  in  health  since  causes  of  excitement  have  been 
removed. 

"  I  am  like  the  host  twice  made  glad — glad  because  the  people  mani 
fest  an  appreciation  of  your  character  and  services,  and  glad  because  the 
same  people  have  concluded  to  let  you  get  well  and  in  a  fit  condition  to 
return  to  us.  All  the  gun-boats  are  being  secured  as  far  as  possible 
against  rams,  by  putting  railroad  iron  about  the  bows  and  sterns,  and 
slinging  logs  about  the  sides.  This  vessel  is  being  secured  extensively. 
I  have  had  three  bars  of  railroad  iron  secured  between  and  along:  the 


Correspondence.  323 


fan-tails,  so  as  to  prevent  cutting  there,  and  also  heavy  frames  inclosing 
rudders,  and  ironed.  Along  the  casemate,  where  the  iron  is  light,  I  have 
had  i-inch  plate  flanged  and  firmly  bolted,  to  increase  the  strength  of 
the  angle  at  that  vulnerable  point.  If  we  have  time  to  secure  the  bows 
with  |-inch  plates  already  here,  we  will  be  able  to  split  any  boat  that  hits 
us  there. 

"  Colonel  Ellet  is  here  now  with  some  half-dozen  rams.  I  am  exceed 
ingly  glad  that  no  naval  officers  were  asked  to  take  these  same  rams. 
They  serve  to  count  as  it  is ;  and  if  we  can  get  among  the  rebel  fleet,  and 
by  our  fire  prevent  the  use  of  their  guns,  these  rams  ought  to  be  of  serv 
ice  in  sinking  the  rebel  craft,  which,  on  account  of  their  being  so  stuffed 
with  cotton,  ig  a  difficult  thing  to  accomplish  with  shot  alone.  I  have 
written  this  amid  great  confusion  and  many  interruptions.  I  have  been 
thinking  how  much  I  had  reason  to  be  thankful  for  in  the  fortune  that 
has  befallen  me  in  this  war.  The  success  with  the  crazy  Conestoga,  the 
transfer  to  this  fine  command,  with  you  as  commander-in-chief,  and  now, 
in  your  temporary  absence,  with  Commodore  Davis  in  your  place,  is  a  se 
ries  of  good  luck  that  I  am  fully  sensible  of,  and,  I  trust,  duly  grateful  for. 
Few,  if  any,  have  been  so  favored. 

"  Respectfully  and  very  truly  yours,  S.  L.  PHELPS." 

Ellet's  rams,  according  to  the  writer's  testimony,  did  effect 
ive  work  a  few  days  after  this  at  the  great  fight  at  Memphis ; 
but  the  following  extract  from  a  letter,  dated  June  4th,  is  very 
amusing : 

"  Our  Ram  Colonel  is  as  crazy  as  our  friend  Sturges.  He  has  been  writ 
ing  absurd  things  to  the  commodore,  quoting  his  instructions  from  the 
War  Department  to  prove  that  he  is  not  under  orders  of  the  naval  officer 
commanding ;  and  he  proposed  running  the  fire  of  the  fort  and  attack 
ing  the  rebel  fleet  below.  In  his  letters  to  the  War  Department,  he 
styles  his  mode  of  warfare  as  peculiar,  and  not  likely  to  be  approved  of 
by  naval  officers  ;  and  that,  therefore,  it  is  not  possible  that  he  should  be 
restrained  by  their  authority.  The  War  Department  is  cautious  in  reply 
ing  ;  but,  upon  the  whole,  desires  that  the  naval  commander  should  not  in 
terfere,  unless  the  operations  of  the  Ram  Colonel  would  greatly  interfere 
with  the  regular  naval  operations,  or  imperil  public  interests,  or  to  that 
effect.  The  Ram  Colonel  wrote  that  he  proposed  immediately  to  proceed 
against  the  rebel  fleet,  passing  the  fire  of  Fort  Pillow.  The  commodore 


324  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

replied  that  while  he  did  not  approve  of  the  enterprise,  he  would  offer 
no  opposition,  and  wished  him  all  luck.  Two  or  three  days  after,  sure 
enough,  the  Ram  Colonel  got  under  way  in  a  rain-squall,  and  started  down 
around  Craighead  Point,  followed  by  the  junior  rams.  Head  ram  had 
not  passed  from  our  view  before  a  fire  was  opened  from  the  fort,  and 
ram's  head  came  around  double  quick,  and  all  the  rams  paddled  back, 
followed  by  a  sharp  fire  from  the  fort,  though  we  could  not  in  the  rain 
judge  of  how  the  shot  fell.  A  few  minutes  after  our  rams  had  come  up, 
two  rebel  rams  appeared  round  the  Point,  and,  as  plainly  as  rams  ever 
talked,  said,  '  Come  on,  Yankee  rams ;  we  are  here  on  neutral  ground 
ready  to  butt  our  difficulties  out ;'  but  Yankee  rams  said  not  a  word. 
The  conclusion  is,  we  shall  hear  no  more  from  our  Ram  Colonel  about 
running  batteries." 

Paymaster  Wise  writes,  May  25th : 

"  As  long  as  you  remain  in  Cleveland,  we  feel  that  you  are  yet  our  dear 
flag-officer,  only  away  for  a  short  time ;  but  if  you  go  to  New  York,  we 
fear  they  won't  let  you  come  back." 

Quartermaster-General  Meigs  says  at  the  close  of  a  business 
letter : 

"I  regret  that  your  wound  should  have  compelled  you  to  leave  the 
flotilla,  built  up  by  your  exertions,  and  led  to  victory,  before  its  work  was 
all  completed  by  a  junction  with  the  fleet  from  below ;  but  congratu 
late  you  upon  the  successes  you  were  allowed  to  obtain,  and  upon  the 
love  and  admiration  which  you  have  secured  from  all  true  Americans." 

Although  sick  and  weak,  he  seems  during  his  stay  at  Cleve 
land  to  have  written  much,  especially  in  favor  of  the  claims 
of  certain  naval  officers,  to  obtain  for  them  positions  and  com 
mands  which  he  thought  were  deserved  for  past  faithful  serv 
ices.  He  did  not  forget  his  friends;  he  followed  up  their 
claims  with  great  persistency  until  he  had  secured  the  prize. 
They  knew  they  could  depend  upon  his  practical  support  in 
the  struggle  for  honorable  advancement,  and  this  knit  him  to 
them  with  hooks  of  steel.  One  of  them  says : 

"  It  is  no  fault  of  yours  that  I  am  not  to  be  confirmed — indeed,  you 
have  labored  hard  for  it ;  and  if  it  should  be  so  decided  that  we  do  not 


Vote  of  Thanks.  325 


meet  again  in  the  flotilla,  accept  my  thanks  for  past  kindnesses,  with  the 
assurance  that  I  shall  always  entertain  the  strongest  possible  friendship 
and  esteem  for  you." 

At  the  May  session  of  the  Connecticut  Legislature,  the  fol 
lowing  vote  of  thanks  was  passed : 

"  STATE  OF  CONNECTICUT  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY,  } 
May  Session,  A.D.  1862.  ) 

"  Resolved,  That  the  State  of  Connecticut  has  abundant  reason  to  be 
proud  of  her  heroes  in  the  Army  and  Navy  of  this  nation;  and  that 
while  history  can  not  fail  to  do  justice  to  our  fallen  martyrs,  we,  without 
invidious  motives,  do  now  accord  to  Commodore  Andrew  H.  Foote,  of 
the  Navy,  our  earnest  and  unqualified  praise  for  the  great  energy,  perse 
verance,  and  patience  which  he  has  exhibited  while  in  command  of  the 
Federal  flotilla  on  the  Western  rivers ;  and  especially  for  the  great  brav 
ery  and  skill  with  which  he  has  fought  and  won  his  successive  battles. 
And  most  cordially  do  we  sympathize  with  him  while  suffering  from 
wounds  received  in  battling  for  the  right. 

"  Resolved,  That  as  a  testimonial  of  our  kind  regard  for  him,  the  clerks 
of  this  General  Assembly  be  directed  to  prepare  and  transmit  to  him  a 
copy  of  these  resolutions." 

The  main  features  of  the  naval  battle  of  Memphis  have  al 
ready  been  briefly  mentioned  ;  but  the  particulars  of  this  com 
bat  are  given  in  a  letter  of  Phelps  to  Foote  in  a  way  that  one 
could  not  give  who  had  not  been  himself  an  actor : 

"  U.  S.  FLAG-STEAMER  '  BENTON,'  MEMPHIS,  7 
June  9, 1862.  ) 

"  FLAG  -  OFFICER  A.  H.  FOOTE,  U.  S.  N.,  commanding  Flotilla,  Western 

Waters,  Cleveland,  O. : 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — I  have  been  most  anxious  to  write  to  you  since  our 
battle  on  the  6th  instant,  but  must  in  justice  to  myself  confess  that  I  have 
hardly  known  whether  I  have  been  on  my  head  or  heels  since  that  date. 
I  had  two  days  and  nights  of  hard  work  and  anxiety  before  the  fight 
took  place ;  have  had  prizes — war  vessels  and  transports — to  save,  send 
off,  repair,  and  provide  with  people,  to  say  nothing  of  a  thousand  wants 
of  the  people  of  Memphis  to  look  after. 


326  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

"  I  sent  you  yesterday  a  copy  of  the  Memphis  Appeal,  containing  a  really 
fair  statement  of  the  fight,  which  was  witnessed  by  thousands  on  the 
bluflf.  The  rebel  boats  insisted  on  remaining  before  the  city,  notwith 
standing  that  we  were  an  hour  under  way  half  a  mile  above,  giving  a 
fair  opportunity  for  them  to  come  up  to  the  attack  if  they  intended  fight 
ing  away  from  the  city,  or  to  drop  below  where  we  could  follow  and  at 
tack  them.  The  rebels  forced  us  to  fire  on  them  without  regard  to  the 
consequences  to  Memphis  by  opening  upon  us.  We  exchanged  a  num 
ber  of  shots,  when  Colonel  Ellet,  with  the  Ocean  Queen  and  Monarch, 
dashed  down  at  the  enemy,  we  at  the  time  turning  one  '  slow  length ' 
around  for  the  same  purpose.  The  rebels  were  evidently  disconcerted  by 
this  move ;  and  the  Ocean  Queen  failing  to  hit  the  Beauregard,  made  a 
pass  at  the  General  Lovell,  cutting  her  through ;  and  that  vessel  sunk  in 
a  few  minutes,  many  of  her  crew  going  down  with  her;  and  she  is  en 
tirely  out  of  sight.  This  is  all  the  rams  did,  except  the  confusion  created 
by  them  gave  us  better  chances  at  the  rebel  craft.  The  Monarch  missed 
the  General  Price,  and  the  Beauregard,  missing  the  Monarch,  cut  away  en 
tirely  the  port-wheel  and  wheel-house  of  the  General  Price.  This  ended 
the  rams'  doings,  as  rams,  on  either  side.  The  Beauregard,  in  backing 
out  from  the  General  Price,  gave  me  a  broadside  shot,  at  close  range, 
with  a  42-pounder,  and  I  sent  a  shot  into  her  boiler,  blowing  her  up. 
Some  fourteen  of  the  scalded  people  are  on  our  hands.  How  many  were 
killed  we  do  not  know.  The  vessel  soon  sank,  and  has  since  gone  to 
pieces.  The  Benton  then,  as  throughout  the  action,  was  considerably  in 
advance  of  the  other  vessels,  seemingly  the  most  speedy  of  them  all,  and 
pursued  the  now  retreating  rebels  with  an  accuracy  of  fire  and  an  execu 
tion  really  terrible.  The  Jeff.  Thompson  was  disabled  and  set  on  fire  by 
shells,  and  was  destroyed  in  a  splendid  explosion.  The  Sumter  was  soon 
disabled,  and  then  the  Bragg- — which  vessel  had  been  fired  by  one  of  our 
rifled  shot  bursting  in  her  cotton  protection.  The  Little  Rebel  received 
a  shot  in  the  boiler  about  the  same  time  the  Beauregard  did,  and  her 
fate  was  sealed.  Mr.  Bishop  has  command  of  the  General  Bragg,  Mr. 
Erben  of  the  Sumter,  and  Mr.  Hoel  will  have  the  Little  Rebel.  The  Gen 
eral  Van  Dorn  escaped,  but  was  badly  injured.  If  the  rams  had  done 
their  duty,  she  would  have  been  captured  also ;  but  after  the  first  dash 
we  saw  no  more  of  them.  Colonel  Ellet  was  wounded  by  a  pistol-shot 
in  the  leg,  and  his  vessel  was  disabled.  His  dash  was  bold  and  well 
executed.  There  was  some  firing  of  small -arms  from  the  woods,  and 
at  the  same  time  cheers  from  the  banks.  This  is  a  destruction  of 


Correspondence.  327 


their  fleet  which  there  is  no  dodging.  Fifteen  thousand  people  wit 
nessed  it.  I  carried  the  demand  for  the  surrender  of  the  city  to  the 
mayor,  and  was  saluted  by  a  number  of  ladies ;  and  passed  through  the 
immense  crowd  without  molestation,  or  evidence  of  an  exasperated  or 
bitterly  hating  people,  and  saw  no  scowling  women.  The  city  is  quiet, 
and  things  go  on  smoothly.  I  have  been  much  distressed  to  hear  of  your 
continued  ill-health.  I  had  hoped  that  by  this  time  you  would  have 
been  entirely  recovered  and  ready  to  return  to  your  fleet ;  but  I  fear  this 
is  as  remote  in  prospect  as  at  any  time  heretofore.  I  have  not  heard  from 
you  since  about  the  27th  ultimo.  Do  let  me  hear  as  frequently  as  you 
can.  You  must  know  that  my  anxiety  to  hear  of  your  condition  is  very 
great,  being  bound  to  you  alike  by  personal  attachment  and  a  grateful 
sense  of  continued  kindness  and  assistance.  S.  L.  PHELPS." 

When  we  think  that  the  Benton,  so  powerful  in  fight,  had 
been  prepared  by  Commodore  Foote  especially  for  his  own 
flag-steamer,  we  can  not  but  imagine  that  these  letters,  recount 
ing  her  force  and  success,  must  have  gone  home  to  the  heart 
of  the  sick  man  laid  aside  almost  hopelessly;  while  at  the 
same  time  he  rejoiced  at  his  fleet's  efficiency,  thus  making  its 
way  conqueringly  down  the  river. 

A  letter  from  Captain  Paymaster  Wise  brings  into  view  an 
other  side  of  the  flotilla — its  needful  but  quiet  hospital  work : 

"  OFFICE  OF  THE  NAVAL  DEP6T,  CAIRO,  June  12, 1862. 

"  MY  DEAR  COMMODORE, — Your  letter  of  May  30,  and  your  note,  by  Mr. 
Henriques,  of  the  5th  of  June,  I  duly  received.  We  all  regret  that  you 
do  not  improve  more  rapidly,  and  think  that  a  little  mountain  air  would 
help  you. 

"  Mr.  Henriques  is  here,  and  Paymaster  Dunn  and  myself  will  do  all  we 
can  to  effect  a  speedy  and  proper  settlement  of  his  affairs.  Mr.  Hen 
riques  is  improving  in  health.  I  will  see  that  his  pay  accords  with  your 
wishes. 

"  I  wish  that  you  could  see  our  hospital-boat,  the  Bed  Rover,  with  all 
her  comforts  for  the  sick  and  disabled  seamen.  She  is  decided  to  be  the 
most  complete  thing  of  the  kind  that  ever  floated,  and  is  every  way  a 
success.  The  Western  Sanitary  Association  gave  us  in  cost  of  articles 
$3500.  The  ice-box  of  the  steamer  holds  three  hundred  tons ;  she  has 


328  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

bath-rooms,  laundry,  elevator  for  the  sick  from  the  lower  to  the  upper 
deck,  amputating-room,  nine  different  water  arrangements,  gauze  blinds 
to  the  windows  to  keep  the  cinders  and  smoke  from  annoying  the  sick, 
two  separate  kitchens,  for  sick  and  well,  and  a  regular  corps  of  nurses. 

"  We  think  that  the  gun-boats  have  nearly  finished  tlreir  work,  and 
that  a  different  kind  will  be  required  for  the  future.  The  old  boats  will 
be  used  as  floating-batteries,  to  be  stationed  at  New  Orleans,  Vicksburg, 
Memphis,  and  Island  No.  Ten.  Fast  boats,  with  light,  powerful  arma 
ments,  will  act  as  river  police  and  keep  the  river  open.  I  see  the  Act 
transferring  the  flotilla  to  the  Navy  has  passed  the  House  of  Representa 
tives,  and  will  no  doubt  pass  the  Senate.  This  change  will  be  for  the 
better. 

"  Captain  Pennock  is  as  busy  as  usual.  Winslow  has  gone  down  the 
river  to  take  command  of  the  Cincinnati.  Sanford  is  now  in  Cairo.  Por 
ter  is  getting  the  Essex  ready,  and  if  she  do  not  draw  too  much  water,  she 
will  be  a  very  efficient  vessel.  I  send  you  Porter's  official  seal. 

"  Hoping  scon  to  hear  good  accounts  of  you,  and  again  to  see  you  and 
thank  you  for  all  your  kindness  to  me, 

"  I  am  respectfully  and  truly  yours,  GEORGE  D.  WISE." 

Commodore  Foote  did  not  continue  to  grow  stronger ;  on 
the  contrary,  he  became  so  reduced  that,  in  the  language  of  an 
other,"  he  was  but  a  shadow  of  himself,"  and  much  of  the  time 
he  was  forced  to  keep  his  bed.  His  physicians  urged  the  en 
tire  giving  up  of  care  in  order  to  save  his  life ;  and  at  length, 
after  submitting  to  the  examination  of  a  surgical  board,  he 
sent  the  following  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy : 

"  CLEVELAND,  June  13, 1862. 

"  SIR, — It  becomes  my  unpleasant  duty  to  inform  the  Department  that 
my  health,  in  the  estimation  of  the  best  medical  advice  of  this  city,  is 
such  as  would  imperil  my  efficiency  were  I  to  resume  my  duties  on  the 
Mississippi  River  for  two  or  three  months  to  come. 

"  Under  these  circumstances,  I  submit  to  the  decision  of  the  Depart 
ment  whether  I  shall  return  immediately  to  my  duty  in  the  flotilla,  or  re 
ceive  a  three-months'  leave  of  absence,  or  even  be  detached  altogether 
from  my  command,  for  the  purpose  of  trying  the  effects  of  salt  air,  as  rec 
ommended,  with  the  hope  of  an  early  restoration  to  health. 

"  I  am  aware  that,  while  there  seems  to  be  little  or  no  prospect  of  fur- 


Detached  from  Command  of  Flotilla.         329 

ther  fighting  on  the  Western  rivers,  which  may  now  be  said  to  be  cleared 
of  their  powerful  rebel  batteries  and  gun-boats,  the  reorganizing,  arrang 
ing,  and  distributing  of  the  flotilla  to  protect  the  peaceful  commerce  of 
the  rivers  against  a  guerrilla  warfare,  superadded  to  the  great  difficulties 
incident  to  the  settling  of  accounts,  require  an  officer  of  experience ;  yet 
may  I  not,  without  detriment  to  the  service  or  to  my  professional  stand 
ing,  be  permitted  to  have  the  necessary  time  to  recuperate  my  exhausted 
health  ? 

"  If  it  will  not  be  considered  premature,  I  wish  further  to  remark  that 
when  this  rebellion  is  crushed,  and  a  squadron  is  fitted  out  to  enforce  the 
new  treaty  for  the  suppression  of  the  African  slave-trade,  I  should  be 
pleased  to  have  command ;  but  so  long  as  the  rebellion  continues,  it  will 
be  my  highest  ambition  to  be  actively  employed  in  aiding  its  suppression. 

"  Inclosed  is  the  certificate  of  my  attending  physicians. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  A.  H.  FOOTE,  Flag-Officer. 
"  The  Hon.  Gideon  Welles." 

The  report  of  the  physicians  referred  to  in  the  above  was  as 
follows : 

"  The  undersigned,  having  been  in  professional  attendance  on  Commo 
dore  A.  H.  Foote  during  his  visit  to  this  city,  deem  it  due  to  him  to  say 
that,  in  our  opinion,  he  will  not  be  able  to  return  to  active  service  for 
some  three  or  four  months  without  seriously  jeoparding  his  health.  The 
inflammation  following  his  wound,  his  inability  to  take  exercise  except 
on  crutches,  and  the  debilitating  effects  of  a  diarrhoea  and  fever,  have 
reduced  his  strength  and  flesh  to  a  great  degree.  The  wound  evidently 
was  the  predisposing  cause,  superinducing  the  attack  of  diarrhoea  and 
hemorrhoids — sequents  of  an  enlarged  liver  and  malarious  influences. 

"  Although  in  some  respects  his  symptoms  are  more  favorable,  he  still 
continues  much  emaciated,  having  left  his  bed  but  a  few  times  for  the 
past  fortnight.  We  therefore  unite  in  the  opinion  that  a  change  of  posi 
tion  to  the  sea-coast  would  materially  expedite  his  recovery. 

"  (Signed)  THOMAS  L.  RODMAN,  M.D. 

E.  GUSHING,  M.D. 

"  Cleveland,  O.,  June,  1862." 

Flag- Officer  Foote  was,  therefore,  at  his  own  request,  de 
tached  from  his  command  of  the  Western  flotilla  on  the  17th 


330  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

of  June,  1862.     The  following  note,  from  the  Secretary  of  the 

Navy,  came  soon  after : 

"  WASHINGTON,  June  17, 1862. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — I  can  not  be  satisfied  with  a  mere  formal  official  let 
ter  detaching  you  from  the  flotilla,  where  you  have  rendered  such  great 
service  to  the  Department  and  the  country,  without  expressing  in  a  more 
earnest  and  friendly  manner  my  appreciation  of  your  labors  and  achieve 
ments.  The  country  feels  and  acknowledges  its  indebtedness  to  you ; 
but  few  know,  as  I  do,  the  difficulties  you  have  been  compelled  to  en 
counter  and  overcome,  in  first  creating  the  flotilla,  and  then  carrying  it 
into  a  series  of  successful  actions,  which  have  contributed  so  largely  to 
the  suppression  of  the  rebellion  throughout  the  Southwest. 

"  It  was  with  some  reluctance  that  I  gave  the  orders  which  carried  you 
to  the  field  where  you  have  acquired  so  great  and  just  renown ;  for,  aware 
of  some  of  the  embarrassments  by  which  you  would  be  tried,  I  saw  also 
that  the  Army  failed  to  estimate  the  necessity  and  value  of  the  naval 
branch  of  operations  on  the  Western  rivers.  Some  of  these  matters  we 
talked  over  before  you  left ;  but  I  did  not  express  to  you  all  the  discour 
agements  that  appeared  to  me  then,  and  which  you  have  so  well  sur 
mounted.  The  history  of  these  matters  is  yet  to  be  written,  for  only  the 
results  are  nojv  patent  to  the  country. 

"  I  have  watched  and  participated  in  every  movement  that  has  been 
made,  uninfluenced,  I  believe,  by  censure  or  complaint  or  denunciation 
from  the  thoughtless  and  the  designing,  which  has  been  inflicted  on  the 
Department  from  the  commencement  of  hostilities ;  and  every  victory  ob 
tained  and  advance  made  cheered  my  heart  scarcely  less  than  your  own. 

"  Most  sincerely  do  I  regret  the  necessity  which  compels  you  to  seek 
rest,  and  ask  to  be  detached  from  that  command  which  you  have  so  much 
honored ;  but  I  am  consoled  with  the  belief  that  you  will  be  able  in  a 
brief  period,  with  vigor  and  renewed  health,  to  again  elevate  your  flag 
and  render  additional  service. 

"  I  shall  bear  in  mind  your  request ;  and,  remembering  our  associations 
in  boyhood,  be  happy,  as  a  friend  and  an  officer,  to  exhibit  at  all  times 
my  confidence  and  abiding  friendship. 

"  Please  make  my  respects  to  your  brother ;  and  wishing  you  speedy 
restoration  to  health  and  to  active  duty, 

"  I  remain  very  truly  and  sincerely  your  friend, 

"GIDEON  WELLES. 
"  Flag-Officer  A.  H.  Foote,  Cleveland." 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

CORRESPONDENCE. — RETURN  TO  THE  EAST.  — VOTE  OF  THANKS  BY 

CONGRESS. 

COMMODORE  FOOTE  remained  until  the  23d  of  June  in  Cleve 
land,  when  he  left  that  place  with  his  wife  for  the  East,  and 
arrived  at  their  home  in  New  Haven  on  the  25th.  Their  quiet 
departure  from  Cleveland  and  their  arrival  in  New  Haven,  as 
well  as  their  rapid  transit,  though  meant  to  escape  popular  no 
tice,  were  accompanied  by  every  mark  of  public  respect.  While 
still  in  Cleveland,  he  is  thus  spoken  of  by  a  visitor  who  saw 
him: 

"  The  commodore  was  on  his  crutches,  but  he  hastened  across  the  hall 
and  gave  us  a  cordial  greeting.  His  fine,  manly  countenance  and  bright 
black  eyes  are  lighted  up  with  genius  and  intelligence ;  his  soul  glows 
with  patriotic  ardor,  and  he  longs  to  return  to  his  command.  He  thinks 
he  will  be  able  soon  to  do  so,  but  he  must  go  on  his  crutches.  The 
quietness  of  his  manner  while  telling  us  how  he  was  wounded  at  Fort 
Donelson  I  can  not  convey ;  but  his  story  was  something  like  this  :  '  The 
shells  were  flying  about  pretty  thick,  and  I  stepped  into  the  pilot-house 
to  see  that  the  boat  was  kept  in  position.  Just  then  a  shell  came  in  and 
killed  one  of  the  men  at  the  wheel ;  the  other  man  seemed  to  lose  his 
presence  of  mind,  and  I  seized  the  wheel  to  keep  her  right ;  but  it  was 
not  till  some  time  after  that  I  discovered  that  I  was  seriously  hurt." 

Since  Admiral  Foote's  personal  appearance  is  alluded  to 
in  the  above,  and  as  the  photograph  from  which  the  frontis 
piece  was  drawn  was  taken  about  this  time,  this  seems  a 
good  place  to  speak  a  word  concerning  it.  His  countenance 
was  indeed  a  fine  one :  his  forehead  was  broad  and  full,  and 
his  large,  bright  black  eyes,  restless  and  piercing,  took  in  all 


33 2  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

things  at  a  glance  ;  his  firm-shut  mouth  had  a  grip  and  strength 
that  showed  the  invincible  will  of  the  man.  His  stature  was 
of  medium  size,  but  square-built  and  compact.  He  was  always 
very  neatly  dressed,  carrying  his  professional  notions  in  this 
respect  to  a  nicety.  He  had  a  sailor-like  alertness  of  step,  and 
his  motions  were  quick  and  nervous ;  yet  his  address  was  ex 
ceedingly  suave  and  gentle.  He  gave  the  impression  of  a 
man  of  active  brain  and  of  great  energy,  though  held  well  in 
restraint.  At  one  time  he  had  a  hobby  that  he  had  weak  eyes, 
and  he  wore  large  green  goggles,  giving  his  naval  friends  much 
amusement.  He  was,  in  fact,  quite  apt  to  ride  hobbies ;  and 
these  "  charming  foibles,"  as  one  of  his  friends  calls  them,  made 
him  a  most  fascinating  man  to  all  who  knew  him  and  loved 
him. 

His  correspondence  with  his  subordinate  officers,  especially 
with  Lieutenant-Commander  Phelps,  continued  to  be  frequent 
and  of  much  general  interest,  as  containing  details  of  military 
matters  not  found  in  historical  works.  We  select  a  few  let 
ters  : 

"  U.  S.  FLAG-STEAMER  '  BENTON,'  MEMPHIS,  ) 
June  17, 1862.  ) 

"  FLAG-OFFICER  FOOTE,  U.  S.  N. : 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — It  has  occurred  to  me  that  you  would  be  interested 
in  knowing  what  we  found  Fort  Pillow  to  be  on  close  examination.  It 
would  be  much  more  proper  to  say  that  this  examination  was  simply  a 
hurried  glance  at  the  main  features.  The  commodore  directed  me  to  re 
port  on  '  an  hour's  examination.'  We  were  there  but  a  short  time.  I  will 
copy  my  report  from  the  files  of  the  Department :  '  The  outer  line  of  in- 
trenchments,  flanking  upon  Coal  Creek  at  the  point  some  six  hundred 
yards  above  the  upper  river  battery,  ascends  the  bluff  in  an  irregular  zig 
zag  to  a  prominent  and  narrow  ridge,  lying  between  the  River  Hatchie 
and  the  Mississippi,  whence  the  lines  trend  away,  at  a  sharp  angle,  along 
the  ridge  in  the  direction  of  Fulton,  and  flank  upon  the  bluffs  on  the 
Mississippi  above  that  landing,  making  a  circuit  of  from  four  to  five  miles. 
These  lines  consist  of  a  heavy  embankment,  planked  upon  the  inner  face, 
with  a  dry  ditch  of  an  average  of  about  eight  feet  depth  and  width. 


Correspondence.  333 


Considerable  numbers  of  pieces  of  artillery  had  once  been  mounted  along 
this  extended  line.  An  abatis  of  fallen  timber,  of  six  hundred  yards  in 
width,  is  cut  throughout  the  entire  length.  There  is  an  inner  line  of 
works  of  similar  construction,  though  not  of  one  unbroken  circuit,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  outer  line ;  and  it  is  estimated  that  the  total  length  of  the  in- 
trenchments  is  ten  miles.  The  entire  land  embraced  within  the  circuit  of 
these  works  is  exceedingly  rough  and  broken— sharp  ridges,  deep  gorges 
and  valleys,  with  small  springs  and  rivers  that  traverse  it  in  all  direc 
tions  ;  while  a  greater  part  of  the  surface  is  covered  with  a  heavy  forest 
growth.  There  are  prominent  batteries  along  the  inner  line  of  defense, 
from  which  artillery  swept  the  outer  works ;  while  intrenchments  and 
rifle-pits  were  disposed  to  enfilade  and  command  the  approaches  offered 
by  the  broken  surface.  Two  crescent  batteries  are  also  erected  near  the 
summit  of  the  river  bluffs  to  assist  in  the  landward  defenses. 

" '  The  water-batteries  are  constructed  at  the  base  of  the  bluff,  in  the 
face  of  it,  and  in  the  gorges  by  which  it  is  broken.  The  water-battery 
proper  consisted  often  guns,  but  was  much  injured  by  the  late  flood.  A 
heavy  columbiad  was  mounted  on  a  casemated  work,  constructed  in  a 
ravine  above  the  level  of  the  ten-gun  battery.  This  work  was  destroyed 
by  fire.  To  the  left  and  higher  up  is  a  sunken  battery  of  six  heavy  guns. 
Still  higher  up,  occupying  another  ravine,  is  a  10-inch  columbiad,  sweep 
ing  over  a  great  arc.  Below  the  water-battery  on  the  river,  and  con 
structed  by  heavy  excavations  from  the  bluff  at  some  elevation,  is  a  bas- 
tioned  work  of  six  heavy  guns  in  front,  and  several  flanking.  In  this  is 
a  13-inch  mortar,  bursted.  Still  higher  up  the  bluffs  are  other  colum- 
biads,  mounted  mostly  in  works  across  ravines,  and  in  batteries  of  one 
and  two  guns.  Single  guns  (32-pounders)  are  also  placed  in  position 
along  the  bluff  as  far  as  Fulton,  three  miles  below  the  fort. 

" '  These  works  are  constructed  and  disposed  with  great  skill  and  with 
vast  labor ;  but  a  fatal  mistake  had  been  made  in  the  depression  that 
could  be  given  the  guns  in  all  save  the  water-battery,  since  in  a  moder 
ate  stage  of  the  river  our  boats  could  have  hugged  the  shore  and  passed 
under  their  fire. 

" '  I  will  here  mention  that  Colonel  Fitch,  commanding  the  Forty-sixth 
Indiana  Regiment,  had  constructed  a  road  through  swamps  on  the  upper 
side  of  Coal  Creek,  where  no  such  attempt  seems  to  have  been  antici 
pated  ;  and  had  made  preparations  for  crossing  the  creek,  and  entering 
the  works  within  the  lines  while  the  fleet  should  open  fire  in  front. 
From  thence  he  could  easily  have  captured,  by  a  rear  attack,  the  crescent 


334  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

battery  on  the  bluff  above  ;  after  which  the  different  river  batteries  would 
have  been  entirely  exposed  to  his  riflemen  firing  from  above  and  in  rear. 
The  movement  was  made  in  accordance  with  this  plan,  adopted  and  pre 
pared  several  days  in  advance ;  but  the  rebels  had  fled  from  the  works 
during  the  night,  burning  every  thing  in  their  power.' 

"  You  will  acknowledge  that  this  is  evidently  the  result  of  a  very  im 
perfect  examination.  When  I  went  on  shore  I  did  not  understand  that  I 
was  expected  to  make  any  report  whatever.  The  work  is  of  immense 
strength,  and  a  place  from  which  gun-boats  would  find  it  difficult  to  dis 
lodge  troops. 

"  Captain  Kilty  you  know  has  gone  to  White  River  with  the  Mound 
City,  St.  Louis,  Lexington,  and  Conestoga.  Yesterday  he  sent  up  a  splen 
did  steamer  as  a  prize.  The  rebels  are  filling  the  river  with  rafts,  trees, 
etc.,  to  obstruct  navigation. 

"  To-day  we  have  reports  that  the  rebel  ram  and  gun-boat  Arkansas, 
of  which  we  heard  so  much,  sailed  down  the  Yazoo  on  Sunday  last,  and 
is  expected  to  destroy  the  entire  Yankee  fleet.  The  rebels  boast  that  she 
is  another  Merrimack.  We  hear  nothing  from  the  fleet  below  Vicksburg. 

"I  suspect  they  find  trouble  in  the  navigation,  and  no  doubt  will  be 
obliged  to  proceed  down  to  that  point.  When  will  these  craft  get  back  ? 
the  distance  is  now  four  hundred  miles ! 

"  I  have  been  very  busy  with  prizes,  and  the  like.  We  now  have  the 
De  Soto,  Kentucky,  and  Victoria  for  mail-boats.  The  Hill  is  a  spare  boat. 
We  hear  that  a  prize  agent  is  to  be  sent  out.  I  am  encouraged  to  think 
that  we  may  still  see  you  out  here  again  by  the  accounts  given  us  by  two 
gentlemen  from  Cincinnati  who  saw  you  very  recently  in  Cleveland.  As 
much  as  we  like  Commodore  Davis,  we  all  look  to  you  as  the  natural  and 
rightful  head.  It  would  give  so  much  pleasure  to  see  you  back  in  the 
health  you  were  enjoying  at  Fort  Henry !  Captain  Walke  desired  me 
this  evening  to  remember  him  to  you  very  warmly ;  and  the  commodore 
charges  me  to  give  '  his  love '  to  you. 

"  Yours  respectfully  and  most  truly,  S.  L.  PHELPS." 

"  CAIRO,  June  21, 1862. 

"  MY  DEAR  FLAG-OFFICER  AND  FRIEND,— Your  kind  letter  of  the  loth 
was  received,  and  ought  to  have  been  replied  to  immediately,  but  I  had 
not  the  energy  to  undertake  letter-writing.  I  have  not  been  at  all  well 
for  over  two  months — the  '  Mississippi  River  disease'  having  clung  to  me 
with  great  fondness.  As  usual,  I  devote  all  the  energy  I  possess  in  my 


Correspondence.  335 


particular  duties.  I  hear  that  you  do  not  contemplate  returning  to  take 
command  again  of  the  '  Foote  Flotilla' — is  this  so  ?  The  news  comes  in 
a  questionable  shape,  through  some  indefatigable  newspaper  reporter  or 
other.  I  regret  that  you  were  not  at  the  taking  of  Memphis ;  it  would 
have  been  your  province  to  be  there ;  but  you  have  done  enough  to  let 
the  balance  go  to  some  one  else.  I  hope  we  may  see  you  again  among 
us,  if  it  be  for  never  so  brief  a  period.  I  was  not  satisfied  with  your 
leave-taking  of  the  fleet.  Would  you  not  come  back  and  do  it,  at  any 
rate,  more  formally  and  distinctly — presuming,  of  course,  that  you  pur 
pose  giving  up  the  command  ?  Very  sad  news  reached  us  last  night. 
The  Mound  City  received  a  shot  through  her  steam-drum,  up  the  White 
River,  on  the  16th,  and  lost  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  men  and  offi 
cers.  Dear  old  Kilty  was  badly  scalded  about  the  face  and  hands.  All 
the  engineers  were  killed;  and  the  only  officers  saved  were  Kilty, Dom- 
iny,  and  a  purser's  steward,  Brown.  Master-mate  Brown's  and  Paymas 
ter  Gunn's  bodies  were  brought  up  last  night — the  last  now  lies  near  me 
at  the  ordnance  store-room  door.  The  rebels  shot  our  poor  boys  when 
in  the  water ;  and  fired  a  large  sjiot  at  a  boat  of  the  Conestoga  that  was 
filled  with  the  scalded,  picked  up.  Several  were  killed.  This  was  an 
inhuman  act,  not  to  be  forgotten  by  any  man  in  the  fleet.  The  men  on 
board  the  gun-boats  swore  vengeance.  Colonel  Fitch  took  the  batteries 
that  exploded  the  steam-drum  of  the  Mound-City  at  the  point  of  the  bay 
onet,  killing  about  a  hundred  and  twenty  out  of  a  hundred  and  fifty 
rebels.  Fry — formerly  of  the  Navy — who  commanded  the  rebels,  was 
wounded  and  made  prisoner.  He,  it  is  said,  gave  orders  to  shoot  the 
men  in  the  water.  When  he  was  being  carried  down  to  the  Conestoga's 
boat,  he  said, '  I  don't  wish  to  be  touched  by  a  private.'  No  sooner  said 
than  a  soldier  drew  out  his  revolver,  aimed  and  fired ;  his  arm  was  struck 
up  just  in  time  to  save  Fry's  life.  He  is  now  on  board  the  Conestoga.  The 
people  of  Memphis  are  becoming  reconciled  to  things  as  they  are.  There 
are  not  so  many  nostrils  offended  by  the  presence  of  the  Yankees  as  there 
were.  Coffee,  tea,  and  edibles  are  coming  into  use  there.  This  seems  to 
have  a  pleasant  effect.  Pennock  is  quite  sick,  but  nothing  serious.  Mrs. 
Wise  and  Mrs.  Pennock  left  for  New  York  last  Monday  morning.  We 
miss  their  faces  at  our  table.  We  keep  you,  my  dear  commodore,  always 
in  our  remembrance. 

"  Yours,  sincerely  and  cordially,  J.  P.  SANFORD." 

z 


336  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

"  U.  S.  FLAG-STEAMER  '  BENTON,'  MEMPHIS,  June  23,  1862. 
"  FLAG-OFFICER  A.  H.  FOOTE,  U.  S.  K : 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — I  have  been  influenced  to-day  with  varied  feelings  by 
the  arrival  of  an  appointment  as  flag-officer  for  Commodore  Davis.  I  had 
foreseen  that  the  Department  would  relieve  you  upon  the  certificate  of 
*  necessity,'  because  you  would  give  yourself  no  rest,  but  let  an  uneasy 
mind  and  an  anxious  heart  prey  upon  your  feeble  strength.  Once  free  of 
all  care  or  thought  of  responsibility,  and  with  no  hope  deferred  as  to  when 
you  would  return  to  the  command,  we  may  hope  that  you  will  mend 
apace.  I  have  feared  this  hope  might  not  be  realized,  yet  now  I  look 
forward  with  confidence.  There  can  be  no  contradiction  in  saying  that, 
while  I  esteem  it  great  good  fortune  to  be  associated  as  I  am  with  so 
superior  an  officer  as  the  commodore,  and  one  too  whom  I  so  much  like, 
I  yet  feel  a  disappointment,  that  there  is  no  shaking  off,  in  the  breaking 
up  of  relations  formed  in  a  fullness  of  purpose  and  cemented  by  kindness. 
We  all  probably  indulge  the  imagination  in  pictures  of  what  is  to  come, 
and  mark  out  a  future  associated  with  the  friends  about  us.  I  have  done 
this  in  this  war  with  an  intensity  the  greater  because  of  its  stern  realities, 
and  the  entire  manner  in  which  the  sense  of  duty  had  taken  possession 
of  my  mind.  When  you  induced  me  to  withdraw  that  application,  I 
did  it  designing  to  return  to  my  duty  in  these  waters  with  still  greater 
earnestness  of  purpose ;  but  the  whole  future  was  to  be  inseparably  con 
nected  with  you.  Whatever  I  might  hope  the  flotilla  would  accomplish, 
it  was  with  you  as  leader.  All  we  have  passed  through  since  you  left  us 
has  not  sufficed  to  turn  my  thoughts  from  the  plans  and  wishes  for  the 
future  confidently  built  upon  months  since.  It  does  not  yet  seem  natural 
that  some  one  else  should  appear  as  chief  actor  in  the  scene.  I  have 
more  reason  than  all  others  combined  to  feel  your  absence,  and  I  have 
more  acts  of  benefit  and  kindness  to  remember  and  cherish  than  they ; 
and  I  too  have  more  reason  to  feel  grateful  for  the  foresight  and  solici 
tude  that  so  soon  led  you  to  apply  for  and  secure  Commodore  Davis  for 
your  relief.  I  have  fallen  upon  a  strange  strain,  terribly  egotistic,  in 
which  I  shall  fail  to  make  myself  understood.  A  few  words  would  have 
told  all  better. 

"  The  hospital-boat  was  dispatched  from  here  last  evening  to  get  the 
poor  sufferers  from  the  Mound  City  to  more  comfortable  quarters.  That 
has  been  the  most  terrible  event  known  in  these  waters.  No  imagina 
tion  can  picture  to  itself  the  condition  of  those  burned,  scalded,  and 
wounded  who  still  live.  It  is  the  most  piteous  spectacle  human  Buffering 


Correspondence.  337 


could  present.  Poor  Kilty  was,  they  said,  doing  well;  but  he  suffers 
terribly.  His  heart  is  as  tender  as  a  woman's.  Scarcely  any  of  them  are 
recognizable.  Dr.  Jones  is  more  prostrate  than  Captain  Kilty,  and  less 
likely  to  survive.  Mr.  Dominy,  first  master,  happened  to  be  on  deck, 
and  escaped.  One  engineer,  the  carpenter,  and  one  other  officer  are  still 
alive,  but  most  sadly  burned.  One  hundred  and  twelve  have  died  thus 
far.  The  Sisters  of  Charity,  who  came  down  at  once,  advised  all  being 
sent  to  the  Mound  City  Hospital,  which  they  represent  now  as  very  per 
fect  for  its  purposes.  The  Cincinnati  is  in  White  River  with  the  St.  Loui* 
and  Lexington.  A  crew  is  here  for  the  Mound  City,  and  will  be  sent  down 
to-morrow.  The  White  River  has  fallen  so  much  that  our  vessels  are 
obliged  to  leave  it.  I  presume  we  will  move  down  the  river  soon,  as  this 
place  may  be  considered  safe.  General  Grant  arrived  here  last  evening, 
and  takes  command.  Our  troops  are  not  very  strong  here,  but  will  soon 
be  increased.  Colonel  Webster  is  military  commandant  at  Memphis  (lo 
cal).  The  place  has  rapidly  improved  since  our  arrival.  There  is  one 
thing  very  evident — that  it  was  unfortunate  for  the  rebel  cause  that  the 
gun-boats  should  have  chosen  this  spot  for  their  fighting  ground.  There 
were  too  many  witnesses.  Captain  Dove  flourishes  here.  Walke  is  a 
perfect  ship-keeper.  There  is  a  prospect  that  the  Eastport  will  be  ready 
in  '  one  month.'  I  flatter  myself  that  I  have  arranged  our  quarters  on 
board  of  her  so  as  to  promise  the  greatest  amount  of  comfort.  The 
Bragg  has  been  fitted  up  with  extra  accommodations  for  the  flag-officer 
in  case  of  need.  The  Price  will  be  repaired — is  now  in  Cairo — so  that 
we  shall  have  to  thank  the  rebels  for  three  rams,  to  say  nothing  of  the 
Little  Eebel.  I  will  now  arrange  with  Commodore  Davis  about  the  mess 
affairs,  and  will  have  the  ration  matters  settled,  so  as  to  send  to  you  the 
proper  amount.  Your  kind  proposition,  so  far  as  regards  myself— my 
share — is  so  like  you  that  I  recognize  the  same  spirit  of  increasing  kind 
ness.  The  mortars  I  will  send  to  New  Haven  by  express.  Is  there  any 
thing  else  here  ?  I  do  trust  this  will  find  you  greatly  improved. 

"  Respectfully  and  very  truly  yours,  S.  L.  PHELPS." 

"WASHINGTON,  June  24,  1862. 

"My  DEAB  Sm,— I  regret  that  through  any  inadvertence  or  informality 
you  should  have  suffered  a  moment's  uneasiness.  On  receiving  your  let 
ter  proposing  to  relinquish  your  command,  I  gave  the  matter  full  consid 
eration  ;  and  while  I  deeply  regretted  the  necessity,  I  came  to  the  con 
clusion  that  you  had  acted  wisely,  and  that  it  was  due  to  you  and  to  the 


338  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

service  that  you  should  be  relieved  from  all  care  until  your  system  had 
recovered  its  vigor.  When  this  decision  was  reached,  the  mere  routine 
letters  were  prepared  and  sent ;  but  when  I  reached  home  that  evening, 
and  had  a  moment  to  myself,  I  felt  it  right  to  express  my  feelings  and 
opinions  in  a  free  and  less  formal  manner  in  regard  to  the  great  service 
you  had  rendered.  This  I  followed  up  with  an  additional  line  the  next 
morning. 

"  I  might,  perhaps,  have  embodied  some  of  the  views  and  thoughts 
that  naturally  presented  themselves  in  my  official  letter,  but  I  think  it 
better  as  it  is.  The  history  of  events  that  have  occurred  during  your 
active  command  on  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries  is  yet  to  be  writ 
ten  ;  and  if  my  life  and  health  are  spared  to  a  season  of  greater  leisure,  I 
hope  I  may  be  able  to  do  yourself  and  others  justice.  Should  it  not  sur 
vive,  the  hasty  notes  I  have  addressed  to  you  will  be  testimony  from  one 
who,  better  than  any  one  else  perhaps,  knows  of  the  difficulties  and  em 
barrassments  which  beset  you ;  and  there  were  some  connected  with  the 
anomalous  organization  of  the  flotilla  that  (even)  you  can  hardly  be 
aware  of.  Every  step  I  have  watched  with  inexpressible  solicitude ;  for 
I  was,  of  course,  held  accountable  for  your  success.  Had  you  made  a 
false  step,  or  been  unfortunate,  the  censorious  would  have  held  me  re 
sponsible  for  your  acts.  I  was  willing  to  assume  that  responsibility,  and 
have  not  been  disappointed. 

"  I  believe  the  public  justly  appreciate  your  labors  and  sufferings,  and 
will  be  ready  to  manifest  it.  They  should ;  for  all  honor  to  the  men  who 
peril  their  lives  for  their  country.  Those  of  us  who  labor  in  another 
sphere  must  be  content  to  witness  the  applause  bestowed  on  those  wThom 
we  have  had  the  good  fortune  or  sagacity  to  select,  for  it  reflects  credit 
on  ourselves.  I  have  been  very  proud  of  your  achievements  in  every 
respect. 

"  27th. — I  was  interrupted  the  other  evening,  and  meeting  your  broth 
er  the  following  morning,  I  had  discarded  my  letter ;  but  finding  it  on 
my  table  this  evening,  I  conclude  to  send  it. 

"  I  was  extremely  glad  to  meet  your  brother,  and  to  hear  from  him  that 
you  are  so  rapidly  improving.  We  shall,  I  trust,  have  the  pleasure  of 
seeing  you  here  before  a  great  while,  but  first  take  care  of  your  health ; 
get  that  fully  re-established  and  your  wound  well.  There  is  a  good  deal 
yet  to  be  done,  I  apprehend,  before  this  causeless  and  wicked  rebellion 
is  suppressed.  Certainly  our  Navy  has  great  labor  in  future,  and  its  best 
men  will  be  required  to  give  it  efficiency  and  character.  It  is  evident 


Correspondence.  339 


from  what  has  transpired  on  our  Western  waters,  that  the  Navy,  as  a  means 
of  national  unity  and  strength,  has  an  importance  that  few  had  anticipated 
before  these  domestic  troubles  developed  its  capabilities.  "We  all  know 
its  value  and  necessity  for  exterior  purposes,  but  were  not  aware  of  its 
internal  strength  in  sustaining  the  government.  Our  armies  in  the  West 
would  have  been  comparatively  powerless  without  the  gun-boats,  and  no 
future  conspiracy  can  make  such  formidable  headway,  if,  availing  our 
selves  of  the  wisdom  derived  from  experience,  we  shall  be  prepared  with 
a  proper  naval  armament  on  the  interior  waters. 

"  I  trust  it  will  benefit  you  to  get  home  and  visit  old  scenes,  breathe 
the  natal  air,  and  meet  early  friends.  You  will  have  more  leisure  than 
myself,  and  must  write  ine  freely  and  without  reserve,  making  such 
suggestions  and  giving  such  advice  as  your  experience  and  observation 
authorize,  and  as  you  believe  will  be  valuable. 

"  Hoping  we  may  see  you  before  a  great  while,  and  glad  to  learn  that 
your  health  continues  to  improve,  I  am  very  truly  and  sincerely  yours, 

"  GIDEON  WELLES." 

"  WASHINGTON,  July  4,  1862. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — Congress  has  just  passed  a  bill  for  reorganizing  the 
Navy  Department.  You  will  have  seen  it  perhaps;  but  if  not,  you  will, 
from  your  familiarity  with  the  service,  understand  its  general  provisions. 
I  am  desirous  of  gathering  here  as  our  Board  of  Admiralty  the  very 
best  men  that  we  have.  The  Chiefs  of  Bureaus  must  constitute  the  ad 
visory  and  suggestive  counselors  of  the  Department.  Our  country  is 
to  be  one  of  the  great  maritime  powers  of  the  world,  and  must  have  a 
Navy  commensurate  with  its  strength  and  position  as  a  nation.  This 
domestic  war  and  attending  events  are  creating  a  revolution  in  many 
respects  in  our  Navy,  and  it  becomes  important  that  we  take  a  new  de 
parture.  The  bill  alluded  to  is  a  pioneer  measure,  and  if  we  can  get  the 
Department  properly  officered  and  manned,  we  shall  make  a  successful 
beginning. 

"  I  doubt  if  you  would  render  more  valuable  service  to  the  country 
elsewhere  than  in  Washington  at  this  juncture,  or  perhaps  at  any  period. 
The  Bureau  of  Equipment  and  Recruiting  is  one  requiring  administrative 
ability,  and  must  necessarily  be  one  of  the  most  important,  if  not  the 
most  important,  pillars  of  the  Department  and  the  service. 

"  Are  you  disposed  to  take  this  position,  and  give  us  your  talents  and 
experience  in  the  creation  and  government  of  a  Navy  that  shall  be  wor- 


34°  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

thy  of  the  country  ?  Take  the  matter  into  consideration,  and  write  me 
as  soon  as  you  conveniently  can  on  the  subject. 

"The  hard  fighting  at  Kichmond  has  not  given  us  all  we  wished. 
The  loss  on  both  sides  has  been  very  severe. 

"  Hoping  to  hear  from  you  soon,  I  am  very  truly  your  friend, 

"GIDEON  WELLES. 
"  Commodore  Foote,  New  Haven,  Conn." 

"WASHINGTON,  July  5,  1862. 

"  MY  DEAK  FOOTE, — I  have  yours  of  the  2d  instant.  I  have  no  time 
to  write.  I  am  sad  at  our  reverse  at  Richmond.  The  gun-boat  came  to 
the  rescue,  after  all.  I  fear  if  we  do  not  capture  Richmond  in  twenty 
days,  we  shall  have  more  trouble  than  we  bargained  for  or  expected. 

"  The  Secretary  has  invited  you  to  the  Bureau  of  Equipment.  I  hope 
you  will  take  it — but  you  can  have  any  thing  you  want.  How  Congress 
cut  at  the  Navy  pay,  while  nothing  is  said  of  the  respect  the  Army  receives 
over  the  Navy.  I  am  getting  old  and  useless,  besides  am  troubled  with 
vertigo.  Regards  to  madam. 

"  Yours  as  always,  in  haste,  JOSEPH  SMITH." 

"  U.  S.  STEAMER  '  BENTON,'  NEAR  VICKSBURG,  } 
July  6, 1862.  \ 

"  FLAG-OFFICER  A.  H.  FOOTE,  U.  S.  N.,  New  Haven,  Conn. : 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — Now  that  the  '  Line  Bill '  has  passed  at  least  one  of 
the  Houses  of  Congress,  I  may  hope  soon  to  escape  the  annoyance  of 
writing  so  awkward  a  title  before  your  name. 

"  I  have  missed  you  so  much  in  this  meeting  of  the  two  fleets,  an  event 
so  strange  in  all  its  historical  bearings.  Though  not  here,  your  works 
are  here  to  represent  you.  The  Benton,  Cincinnati,  Louisville,  and  Caron- 
delet,  with  the  provision  and  ordnance  boats  and  six  mortar-boats,  left 
Memphis  on  the  29th,  arriving  here  on  the  1st  inst.  The  Conestoga  has 
since  come  down  from  White  River.  This  is  our  force.  At  this  point, 
some  five  or  six  miles  above  Yicksburg,  we  found  Flag-Officer  Farragut's 
fleet,  which  had  run  the  blockade  some  three  days  before — or,  rather,  eight 
vessels  of  his  fleet — his  flag  flying  on  board  the  Hartford.  You  may  sup 
pose  there  was  great  cheering  at  the  'meeting.'  The  lower  fleet  has 
vessels  of  the  class  of  the  Richmond,  Iroquois,  and  Winona,  all  beautiful 
specimens  of  their  class.  How  great  the  contrast  of  the  two  forces  !  We 
found  the  officers  discouraged  about  the  place  they  had  passed,  and  all 
of  the  opinion  that  nothing  could  be  done  except  with  the  aid  of  a  land 


Correspondence.  341 


force.  The  batteries  are  on  bluffs,  much  scattered,  and  covered  by  a  large 
army.  These  bluffs  do  not  rise  abruptly,  but  with  a  slope  such  that  the 
batteries,  placed  at  some  distance  from  the  river,  sweep  the  slope  and  river 
shores.  The  fleet  had  suffered  considerable  loss,  and  had  inflicted  little  or 
no  injury ;  and  the  question  is  asked, '  For  what  purpose  did  the  fleet  come 
above  the  batteries  ?'  The  flotilla  already  controlled  the  river  above.  I 
shall  surprise  you  very  much  by  telling  you  that  the  '  New  Orleans  fleet ' 
is  '  at  sixes  and  sevens.'  Farragut's  system  seems  to  be  embraced  in  the 
order  to  Captain  Preble  :  '  Follow  the  Kennebec,  and  fire  at  any  thing  you 
see.'  His  vessels  can  not  attack  down  stream  any  better  than  ours,  and 
can  not  fire  ahead ;  they  must,  therefore,  again  run  the  gauntlet,  and, 
turning  below,  attack  again  batteries  made  stronger  than  when  the  fleet 
came  up.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  gossip  among  the  officers.  Captain 
Craven  has  differed  with  the  flag-officer,  and,  after  failing  to  get  by  the 
batteries  the  other  day,  has  demanded  leave,  and  has  actually  gone  home. 
There  are  criminations  and  recriminations.  I  am  happy  to  inform  you 
that  our  flotilla  manifests  its  lessons  under  your  hands,  and  has  no  outside 
gossip  in  return  for  the  abundance  offered  by  the  lower  fleet.  It  is  pre 
sumed  that  the  fleet  will  not  linger  here,  but  will  run  back  to  below  the 
batteries  very  soon.  One  thousand  negroes  are  working  hard  upon  a 
canal  across  the  point  here  (one  and  a  quarter  miles  long),  which,  if  suc 
cessful,  will  leave  Vicksburg  some  four  or  five  miles  from  the  river.  Com 
modore  Porter  is  shelling  the  batteries  and  town  from  below,  and  Mayna- 
dier  from  above.  We  are  soon  to  go  up  the  Yazoo  to  destroy  the  Arkan 
sas  and  clear  the  river  out.  It  is  expected  that  a  large  land  force  will 
reach  here  from  above.  The  Lexington  is  in  White  River.  Colonel  Fitch 
has  some  3000  or  4000  men,  but  will  have  to  retire,  the  river  being  too  low 
for  navigation.  Nothing  of  the  Essex  yet.  The  Eastport  will  be  ready  in 
time — if  enough  be  given.  The  Sumter  is  on  the  way  down,  and  the  Bragg 
leaves  Cairo  to-day.  The  St.  Louis  and  Mound  City  are  at  Memphis,  and 
the  Cairo  at  Fort  Pillow.  The  Pittsburg  is  at  Cairo  for  repairs.  Commo 
dore  Davis  desires  me  to  give  you  his  best  love,  and  to  say  that  he  gladly 
accepts  your  proposition  about  the  mess.  I  have  some  ration-money  be 
longing  to  you  ;  as  soon  as  it  is  settled  with  Henriques,  I  will  forward  it 
to  you.  I  have  written  at  length,  but  I  hope  not  to  tire  you.  I  am  most 
anxious  to  hear  from  you,  and  learn  how  the  change  has  effected  you,  and 
how  your  recovery  progresses,  as  are  all  in  the  flotilla. 

"  Respectfully  and  most  sincerely  yours, 

"  S.  L.  PHELPS." 


342  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

We  see  by  this  letter  that  there  can  be  anger  in  celestial 
minds,  and  that  our  naval  heroes,  like  those  of  the  Homeric 
fleet,  had  their  little  bickerings  and  rivalries  among  themselves ; 
but  these  letters  from  Foote's  officers,  and  those  that  follow, 
prove  how  deep  a  hold  their  late  commander  had  of  their  af 
fections.  They  show  how  kind-hearted  and  great-hearted  was 
the  man  who  could  call  forth  such  expressions.  He  still  led 
them  in  spirit ;  they  still  looked  to  him  for  encouragement  and 
inspiration.  There  is  a  genuine  ring  of  the  heart  in  these  let 
ters  ;  they  are  not  servile  flatteries  of  one  who  no  longer  con 
trolled  them,  or  from  whom  they  expected  to  gain  any  thing. 
They  came  from  real  esteem  and  love,  and  from  the  grateful 
memory  of  long-continued  kindness  and  friendship.  It  is  not 
often  that  a  military  leader  has  such  a  profound  personal  rela 
tionship  to  those  under  him,  which  shows  something  more  than 
a  confidence  in  his  ability  or  an  admiration  of  his  courage — 
it  shows  the  possession  in  him  of  high  moral  qualities.  We 
will  give  at  this  time  but  one  other  brief  extract  from  the  let 
ters  of  his  officers — from  the  brave  Captain  Gwin,  who  soon 
after  was  killed  in  a  naval  combat  on  the  Mississippi : 

"  You  may  rest  assured  that  the  laurels  won  by  the  flotilla  under  your 
command  will  never  be  tarnished." 

Those  who  saw  Commodore  Foote  when  he  first  returned 
from  the  West  were  struck  by  the  excessive  pallor  of  his  face, 
the  unnatural  brilliancy  of  his  eyes,  and  the  sternness  of  his 
expression.  It  seemed  as  if  he  had  passed  through  a  fiery  or 
deal,  and  had  not  yet  escaped  the  sense  of  its  tremendous  press 
ure.  He  had  come  home  with  a  work  unfulfilled.  He  had 
come  with  a  prophet's  burden  on  him  to  arouse  the  country  to 
greater  exertions  for  its  salvation.  While  cheerful  and  gentle, 
and  courteous  far  beyond  his  strength  in  seeing  and  entertain 
ing  his  friends,  it  was  evident  that  his  mind  was  preoccupied 
with  a  great  purpose ;  and  this,  combined  with  his  ill-health 


Thanks  of  Congress.  343 

and  constant  suffering  from  his  wound,  produced  a  high-strung 
state  of  mind  and  body,  which  both  awed  and  saddened  those 
who  knew  and  loved  him  best. 

Public  invitations,  honors,  and  ovations  began  to  pour  in 
upon  him,  some  of  which  will  be  noticed  in  the  following  chap 
ter  ;  but  he  declined  most  of  them,  or  those  of  them  which 
did  not  have  a  direct  bearing  upon  popular  sentiment,  and  the 
stirring  up  of  the  public  mind  to  more  devoted  love  of  the 
Union  and  to  greater  sacrifices  in  carrying  on  the  war. 

In  the  beginning  of  July  the  President  sent  to  the  Senate 
and  House  of  Representatives  the  following  recommendation  : 

u  I  most  cordially  recommend  that  Captain  Andrew  H.  Foote,  of  the 
U.  S.  Navy,  receive  a  vote  of  thanks  of  Congress  for  his  eminent  services 
in  organizing  the  flotilla  on  the  Western  waters,  and  for  his  gallantry  at 
Fort  Henry,  Fort  Donelson.  Island  No.  Ten,  and  at  various  other  places, 
while  in  command  of  the  naval  forces,  embracing  a  period  of  nearly  ten 
months.  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 

"  Washington,  July  1, 1862." 

This  was  acted  upon  in  the  following  resolution : 

"  Resolved  ly  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States 
of  America,  in  Congress  assembled,  That  the  thanks  of  Congress  be,  and  the 
same  are  hereby  tendered  to  Captain  Andrew  H.  Foote,  of  the  United 
States  Navy,  for  his  eminent  services  and  gallantry  at  Fort  Henry,  Fort 
Donelson,  and  Island  No.  Ten,  while  in  command  of  the  naval  forces  of 
the  United  States. 

"SEC.  2.  And  le  it  further  resolved,  That  the  President  of  the  United 
States  be,  and  he  is  hereby  requested  to  transmit  a  certified  copy  of  the 
foregoing  resolution  to  Captain  Foote. 

"  Approved  July  16, 1862." 


CHAPTEE  XXYI. 

APPOINTED    CHIEF    OF  BUREAU   OF  EQUIPMENT  AND  RECRUITING. — 

SPEECHES  AND   LETTERS   AT   ENLISTMENT   MEETINGS. 

CORRESPONDENCE. ALUMNI   MEETING   AT   YALE 

COLLEGE. APPOINTED   REAR-ADMIRAL. 

ON  the  22d  of  July  Commodore  Foote  was  made  Chief  of 
the  "  Bureau  of  Equipment  and  Recruiting ;"  but  he  did  not 
go  at  once  to  his  post  in  Washington.  His  physical  system 
was  in  a  totally  unstrung  and  wretched  state,  and  he  hoped 
by  good  nursing  at-home  to  be  brought  into  a  better  condition 
for  public  ser\7ice.  The  government,  as  wrill  be  seen  by  the 
following  letter,  was,  under  the  circumstances,  willing  to  wait 
for  him : 

"  WASHINGTON,  July  24, 1862. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — I  have  yours  of  the  22d,  and  am  glad  to  learn  that 
you  are  so  rapidly  improving.  Under  the  circumstances,  I  should  ad 
vise  that  you  should  remain  until  the  time  specified  by  you— the  6th  of 
August.  We  should  be  glad  to  have  you  here,  but  there  is  no  sufficient 
reason  to  jeopard  or  retard  your  permanent  cure.  Until  you  come,  the 
Construction  Bureau  will  discharge  the  duties  of  Equipment  as  hereto 
fore,  and  we  will  attend  to  Recruiting  in  the  Department  proper ;  so  that 
you  can  remain  satisfied  and  undisturbed.  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  your 
counsel  and  advice  on  many  matters,  for  concentrated  wisdom  and  the 
results  of  many  good  minds  strengthen  measures  and  insure  good  action. 

"How  effective  light -draft  boats,  which  can  not  carry  heavy  arma 
ment,  may  be  on  the  Western  rivers,  in  low  stages  of  the  water  and  the 
banks  high,  is  a  question.  They  can  do  some  service  doubtless;  but 
more,  I  apprehend,  would  be  expected  than  they  could  perform.  Instead 
of  being  incidental  to  land  operations,  the  Navy  is,  from  events,  consid 
ered  primary  and  indispensable  to  Army  operations.  They  tell  us  the 
Navy  took  New  Orleans ;  why  can  it  not  take  Richmond  ?  It  overcame 


Presiding  at  an  Enlistment  Meeting.        345 

obstructions  on  the  Mississippi ;  why  can  it  not  overcome  them  on  James 
River  ?  Having  clone  more  than  was  expected,  it  is  now  expected  we 
will  do  impossibilities. 

"  But  to  revert  to  the  object  of  this  letter.  It  is  best  that  you  should 
take  your  own  time  to  come  on.  I  know  you  will  do  it  at  such  time  as 
you  are  satisfied  it  will  be  best  for  yourself  and  the  service. 

"  Very  respectfully,  GIDEON  WELLES." 

But  our  wearied  veteran  was  not  suffered  to  enjoy  perfect 
rest  even  at  home.  It  was  a  time  of  uncommon  excitement, 
uncertainty,  and  despondency  in  war  matters.  The  cry  was 
"  On  to  Richmond ;"  but  the  Union  armies  seemed  to  advance 
no  nearer  to  Richmond  than  they  had  done  months  before. 
Vast  preparations  and  expectations  had  been  bitterly  foiled. 
Great  numbers  of  troops  were  needed  to  fill  up  the  voids  made 
by  sickness  and  battles  in  our  hosts.  Immense  war-meetings 
were  organized  in  all  our  large  cities,  and  every  means  was 
taken  to  arouse  popular  enthusiasm  and  to  swell  enlistment. 
At  one  of  these  great  enlistment  meetings,  called  on  the  even 
ing  of  the  8th  of  July,  in  New  Haven,  Commodore  Foote  pre 
sided.  In  the  newspaper  account  of  this  meeting  the  presiding 
officer  is  thus  spoken  of : 

"  The  meeting  in  Music  Hall  last  evening,  called  by  a  number  of 
prominent  citizens,  to  take  into  consideration  the  subject  of  raising  the 
Connecticut  quota  of  the  troops  called  for  by  the  President,  was  fully 
attended  and  very  enthusiastic.  Commodore  A.  H.  Foote,  as  before  an 
nounced,  presided.  His  entrance  upon  the  stage  was  the  signal  for  pro 
longed  and  vociferous  cheering.  The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  N. 
D.  Sperry,  who  proposed  three  cheers  for  the  gallant  commodore  of  the 
"Western  waters,  which  were  given  with  a  will. 

"  Commodore  Foote  briefly  addressed  the  audience.  He  was  pleased 
to  see  so  many  ladies  present.  It  was  an  encouraging  sign.  He  felt  diffi 
dent  in  attempting  to  preside  at  so  large  an  assembly.  His  life  had  been 
mostly  upon  the  water,  and  his  speaking  had  been  confined  to  giving  a 
few  peremptory  orders.  He  spoke  in  complimentary  terms  of  Governor 
Buckingham,  who  sat  near  him.  He  spoke  in  terms  of  highest  praise  of 
Secretary  Welles.  Connecticut  was  honored  by  such  a  son.  He  referred 


346  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

to  Commodore  Gregory,  who  regretted  that  he  could  not  be  here  to 
night —  his  duty  in  superintending  some  monitors,  that  will  give  the 
English,  French,  and  every  body  else  who  may  have  the  temerity  to  in 
terfere  with  us,  a  warm  reception,  calling  him  away  from  the  city.  The 
commodore  concluded  his  remarks  with  an  expression  of  his  belief  in  the 
justice  of  the  cause  of  the  Union,  and  his  firm  reliance  upon  divine  Prov 
idence  for  ultimate  success." 

Earnest  and  patriotic  speeches  were  made  by  Governor 
Buckingham  and  others,  and  at  the  close  the  following  resolu 
tion  was  passed : 

"  Resolved,  That  the  thanks  of  this  meeting  are  due,  and  are  hereby 
most  heartily  tendered  to  our  presiding  officer,  Commodore  Foote — not 
only  for  his  dignified  and  courteous  demeanor  this  evening,  but  also  for 
the  invaluable  services  which  he  has  rendered  to  our  country." 

In  a  day  or  two  after,  a  similar  war-meeting  was  held  in 
Hartford,  during  which  the  president  of  the  evening  read, 
amid  great  applause,  this  letter : 

"  NEW  HAVEN,  July  9, 1862. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — Your  kind  and  complimentary  note  of  invitation,  in 
behalf  of  the  committee,  to  attend  a  meeting  in  the  city  of  Hartford  to 
morrow  evening  for  the  purpose  of  encouraging  enlistments,  has  been  re 
ceived. 

"  In  view  of  the  condition  of  the  country,  requiring  immediate  rein 
forcements  to  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  to  secure  the  possession  of  Rich 
mond,  the  great  stronghold  of  the  rebels,  I  would,  under  other  circum 
stances,  most  joyfully  be  with  you,  and  add  my  mite  toward  forwarding 
the  grand  object  of  your  meeting ;  but  having  been  forced  away  from 
my  command  on  the  Mississippi,  on  the  eve  of  consummating  its  grand 
object — of  clearing  the  Western  rivers  of  all  rebel  obstructions — in  con 
sequence  of  a  wound  received  at  Fort  Donelson ;  and  suffering  to-day 
from  the  effects  of  presiding  at  the  large,  enthusiastic  meeting  here  last 
evening,  render  it  my  duty  to  decline  your  kind  invitation.  But,  al 
though  necessarily  absent,  I  shall  be  with  you  in  sympathy ;  and  in  an 
other  field  I  hope  soon,  in  action,  to  do  my  part,  as  I  hope  and  beg  that 
every  citizen  will  also  do  his,  either  in  person  or  by  finding  a  substitute, 
toward  speedily  and  forever  crushing  this  wicked,  causeless  rebellion. 


C  orrespondence.  347 


Let  the  ladies  urge  the  young  men  to  the  field  by  their  persuasive  influ 
ence  ;  or,  if  necessary  to  secure  the  quota  assigned  our  state,  let  them 
decline  the  attentions  of  young  gentlemen  until  they  shall  go  and  return  , 
from  the  field  of  battle — having  vindicated  the  honor  of  our  flag,  and 
contributed  their  part  toward  transmitting  to  posterity  the  rich  legacy  of 
that  free  government  which  our  fathers  have  bequeathed  to  us  at  the  sac 
rifice  of  much  of  their  best  blood  and  treasure. 

"  We  ask  nothing  for  the  Navy,  which,  under  the  efficient  administra 
tion  of  Secretary  Welles,  of  whom  Hartford,  the  State  of  Connecticut,  and 
the  nation  may  justly  be  proud,  is  ready  to  do  its  part  in  the  future,  as  it 
has  done  it  in  the  past,  toward  vindicating  our  flag  and  sustaining  the  su 
premacy  of  the  laws.  And  shall  we  now,  after  so  many  glorious  victories, 
suffer  an  ignominious  defeat  for  want  of  a  timely  reinforcement  to  the 
Army  ?  No  !  we  spurn  the  thought.  We  will  furnish  the  gallant  McClel- 
lan  with  men ;  and,  patriots  of  Connecticut,  let  us  rush  to  the  rescue,  and 
the  God  of  Battles  will  continue  to  crown  our  arms  with  victory — en 
abling  us  to  sustain  our  proud  position,  against  enemies  internal  and  ex 
ternal,  as  one  of  the  most  powerful  nations  of  the  earth. 

"  I  am  respectfully  and  very  truly  yours,  A.  H.  FOOTE. 

"  Hon.  William  J.  Hamersley,  Mayor  of  Hartford." 

We  will  not  mention  other  meetings,  which,  were  character 
istic  of  the  times,  and  in  which  the  letters  of  the  fighting  com 
modore — whatever  may  be  thought  of  them  in  other  respects 
—were  "weighty" — were  full  of  spirit  and  fire,  and  stirred 
the  country  like  the  blast  of  a  trumpet. 

In  the  mean  time  letters  from  the  West,  detailing  in  full  the 
operations  of  the  flotilla,  continued  to  come,  as  if  distance  and 
separation  made  no  difference  in  the  feeling  of  unity  between 
him  and  his  "  old  command."  We  have  space  but  for  extracts 
from  one  of  these : 

"  U.  S.  FLAG-STEAMER  '  BENTON,'  MISSISSIPPI  RIVER,  ) 
July  29, 1862.  j 

"  FLAG-OFFICER  A.  H.  FOOTE,  U.  S.  N.,  New  Haven,  Conn. : 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — I  had  the  great  pleasure  to  receive  your  letter  of  the 
19th  instant  this  morning,  and  I  am  most  grateful  to  you  for  it.  I  am 
attempting  to  answer  it  under  difficulties,  having  a  felon  upon  the  fore- 


348  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

finger  of  my  right  hand.  I  am  very  glad,  indeed,  to  hear  of  your  im 
proved  health,  and  that  the  foot  is  mending.  Count  the  months  since 
you  were  wounded ;  does  it  not  seem  an  age  ?  and  all  so  different  now 
from  what  we  hoped  for  after  the  fall  of  Donelson.  ...  I  wrote  to  you  a 
short  time  since,  which  letter,  I  believe,  shared  the  fate  of  the  Sallie  Wood, 
fired  into  and  burned  on  her  way  up  to  Memphis.  Should  I  be  in  error, 
you  will  know  why  I  go  back  over  most  of  our  stay  at  Vicksburg. 

"Before  we  went  down,  a  plan  had  been  made  by  Flag-Officer  Da 
vis  for  an  expedition  up  the  Yazoo  River,  intending  to  destroy  the 
enemy's  vessels  there,  and  especially  the  Arkansas.  .  .  .  Refugees  brought 
very  contradictory  reports  about  the  Arkansas;  but  Commodore  Davis, 
seeing  that  the  lower  fleet  remained  quietly  above,  resolved  upon  a 
move  up  the  Yazoo,  and  first  dispatched  a  reconnoitring  force  to  as 
certain  the  strength  of  the  batteries  covering  the  obstructions,  and  to 
learn  generally  what  force  to  send  up.  The  Taylor  and  ram  Queen  of  the 
West  were  to  go  on  this  reconnoissance,  while  the  Carondelet  should  go 
up  to  the  mouth  of  the  '  old'  river,  and  remain  till  the  return  of  the  first 
two.  The  boats  left  here  at  4  A.M.,  and  before  6  A.M.  began  firing,  as 
we  supposed,  on  guerrillas,  bushwhackers,  or  the  like.  We,  however, 
soon  ordered  steam  up.  It  appears  that  the  boats  met  the  Arkansas  very 
soon ;  that  she  had  a  few  minutes'  fight  with  the  Carondelet  at  close  quar 
ters,  in  which  she  (the  Arkansas)  seems  to  have  got  holes  below  the  water- 
line,  as  they  were  seen  pumping  and  bailing ;  and  that,  after  shoving  the 
Carondelet  on  shore,  she  pushed  on,  now  using  her  two  bow  guns  with 
effect  on  the  old  Taylor's  square  stern  at  some  two  hundred  yards'  dis 
tance.  Gwin  made  a  good  fight.  The  ram  Queen  ran  away  on  the  begin 
ning  of  the  firing.  They  were  soon  down  upon  us.  Not  one  of  the 
lower  fleet  had  fires  kindled.  The  old  Benton  smoked  vigorously;  still 
there  was  not  steam  to  move  her  huge  hulk ;  and  other  vessels  had  so 
crowded  about  us  that  we  could  not  slip  and  drop  down  with  the  cur 
rent  till  such  time  as  steam  was  ready,  and  by  the  time  we  began  to 
move  the  rebel  was  a  mile  below.  He  had  received  the  fire  of  Farragut's 
fleet,  scarcely  one  doing  him  harm  except  the  Richmond,  Captain  Alden, 
whose  broadside  made  the  iron  fly  splendidly — whole  bars  going  up 
twenty  feet  in  the  air.  It  was  hard  times  with  the  rebel  evidently.  None 
of  his  shot  hurt  any  one  on  board  the  vessels  at  anchor,  or  did  damage 
worth  mentioning.  One  cut  away  a  stanchion  for  us,  and  left  its  traces 
on  the  back  of  my  sack-coat — so  much  for  the  favors  of  my  friend  Brown. 
We  followed  the  Arkansas  down  till  fired  upon  by  the  batteries.  She 


Correspondence.  349 


had  escaped.  ...  It  was  settled  that  we  at  six  o'clock  should  engage  the 
upper  batteries  while  the  lower  fleet  was  passing,  which  would  leave  am 
ple  daylight  for  them  to  see  the  rebel  gun-boat,  which  is  painted  an  earth 
color,  not  distinguishable  at  night.  Anchors  were  suspended  from  main- 
yards,  and  grapplings  from  the  cross-jack  yards ;  in  short,  most  elaborate 
preparations  were  made  for  the  advantage  of  the  rebel  intruder,  and  none 
could  doubt  of  its  immediate  destruction.  One  grand  ram,  the  Sumtw, 
was  loaned  for  the  occasion.  At  six  o'clock  we  were  under  way ;  and, 
while  the  sun  still  blazed  in  his  glory,  were  again  in  hot  exchange  of 
compliments  with  the  enemy's  battery  of  six  rifled  guns.  No  vessels  of 
the  other  fleet  moved  yet,  and  for  three  quarters  of  an  hour  we  were  still 
watching  to  see  them  come.  At  last,  as  the  twilight  began,  they  started, 
and  we  could  scarcely  tell  when  the  foremost  vessel  passed  the  upper 
battery,  and  saw  nothing  of  the  hindmost  ones.  The  thing  was  a  failure. 
We  had  no  need  of  reports  from  below  to  tell  us  that.  .  .  .  The  next  night 
came  and  passed  undisturbed  by  one  sullen  sound.  The  day  after  there 
were  still  threats  of  destruction  to  the  horned  enemy ;  and  this  went 
on  till,  finally,  the  Essex  and  ram  Queen  of  the  West  made  their  attempt. 
This  was  against  Commodore  Davis's  judgment.  Flag -Officer  Far- 
ragut  himself  came  up,  spent  most  of  the  day  with  Commodore  Da 
vis,  and  matured  a  plan  of  attack,  which  was  this :  The  Essex  and  ram 
Queen  of  the  West  were  to  go  down  and  attack  the  Arkansas  at  daylight 
next  morning,  we  covering  them  at  the  upper  batteries,  while  the  lower 
fleet  should  attack  the  lower  batteries,  and  prevent  them  firing  with  ef 
fect  on  the  attacking  boats.  The  Sumter  was  also  to  go  up  to  assist. 
.  .  .  Morning  came ;  we  engaged  the  upper  batteries ;  the  Essex  and 
ram  Queen  in  due  time  passed  down.  No  guns  from  the  lower  fleet 
could  be  heard ;  we  continued  to  listen  in  vain,  and  our  hearts  grew 
heavy.  Our  two  vessels,  unsustained,  could  not  endure  the  fire  of  both 
batteries  and  rebel  gun-boat.  The  rebel  fire  was  very  heavy.  Presently 
the  Queen  came  up  badly  shattered.  She  had  struck  the  rebel,  but  not 
effectively;  and  in  the  terrible  fire  upon  her  could  not  renew  the  at 
tempt.  The  Essex  had  poured  her  fire  into  the  enemy,  but  in  the  swift 
current  could  not  be  managed  well  enough  to  lay  by  the  fellow,  enduring 
the  while  the  terrible  raking  fire  of  those  lower  batteries  as  well  as  of  the 
others.  The  lower  fleet  was  at  anchor ;  the  Sumter  not  to  be  seen.  It  is 
a  fact  worthy  of  notice  that  when  the  Queen  struck  the  Arkansas,  half  the 
crew  jumped  overboard.  The  Essex's  shot  made  big  holes  in  her  sides, 
and  cries  were  heard  on  board.  No  explanation  was  made  of  the  failure 


35°  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

of  the  lower  fleet  to  do  its  part  in  the  attack.  The  Sumter's  orders  re 
quired  her  to  wait  till  that  fleet  should  open  upon  the  lower  batteries, 
which  was  to  have  been  simultaneous  with  our  fire  upon  the  upper  works, 
when  she  was  to  push  up  to  the  attack.  Erben  waited  vainly  for  the 
concerted  signal.  I  am  told  that  Commodore  Davis's  letter  was  construed 
as  a  request  to  make  no  attack  on  the  lower  batteries.  Knowing  the  plan, 
as  I  have  described  it  to  you,  however  imperfectly,  is  it  possible  to  render 
it  in  that  manner  ?  It  was  no  part  of  the  plan  to  pass  those  batteries,  but 
to  attack  them  at  twelve  hundred  or  fifteen  hundred  yards  from  below. 
The  whole  thing  was  a  fizzle.  My  growl  is  done.  The  lower  fleet  left, 
and  not  a  vessel  was  sunk  in  the  attempt  to  take  the  Arkansas.  The  land 
force  also  left.  Of  three  thousand  two  hundred  men,  only  eight  hundred 
remained  on  duty.  It  now  became  proper  to  consider  the  state  of  the 
flotilla,  and  what  it  could  effect.  Five  of  the  thirteen  vessels  were  un 
dergoing  repairs ;  two  of  them  had  got  below  Vicksburg,  uselessly  on  the 
failure  of  the  lower  fleet,  and  of  course  could  not  get  back.  Of  the  six 
remaining  vessels,  one  is  at  Fort  Pillow,  another  at  Memphis,  and  four 
with  us.  Evidently  we  could  do  nothing  with  Vicksburg  without  a  land 
force.  Forty  per  cent,  of  our  people  were  already  sick  with  the  fever. 
General  Curtis  had  been  forced  from  the  interior  of  Arkansas  back  upon 
the  Mississippi,  at  Helena,  and  evidently  is  pressed  by  superior  numbers. 
Our  vessels  on  the  river  were  being  fired  into  at  various  points  by  field 
batteries.  We  had  no  gun-boats  with  which  to  convoy,  or  even  to  keep 
open  communications.  No  good  could  arise  from  remaining  where  we 
were;  but  co-operation  with  General  Curtis  offered  a  field,  and  the  cli 
mate  at  the  same  time  would  no  doubt  be  beneficial  to  our  numerous 
sick.  Evidently  our  vessels  were  soon  to  be  entirely  disabled  by  sick- 
ness  if  we  should  remain  where  we  were.  For  these  reasons  we  are  now 
on  our  way  to  Helena,  Arkansas. 

"  However  much  this  long  letter  may  bore  you,  I  trust  you  will  give  me 
credit  for  persistence,  at  least,  for  writing  it  has  been  a  painful  undertak 
ing.  I  feel  keenly  what  reflects  upon  the  flotilla.  The  escape  of  the  Ar 
kansas  is  very  annoying.  It  should,  however,  be  remembered  that  it  was 
impossible  to  keep  steam  up  to  120  or  130  Ibs.,  while  the  low,er  fleet 
put  out  fires. 

"  I  have  read  with  interest  your  speech  at  New  Haven  and  your  pub 
lished  letters.  You  have  planted  yourself  firmly  in  the  hearts  of  the  peo 
ple,  and  I  have  no  doubt  you  will  always  be  foremost  there.  When  will 
you  go  to  Washington  ?  Do  not  forget  the  flotilla  when  you  have  the 


Letter  from  Commodore  Paulding.  351 

cares  of  the  Bureau  upon  you.  I  am  ever  mindful  of  the  debts  I  owe 
your  friendship,  and  trust  I  shall  not  prove  unworthy  to  retain  my  place 
in  your  esteem. 

"  Respectfully  and  most  truly  yours,  S.  L.  PHELPS." 

The  foregoing  is  an  inside  view,  written  evidently  with  a 
sore  mind,  of  the  unsuccessful  attempts  of  the  gun-boats,  sin 
gle-handed,  to  do  any  thing  toward  the  capture  of  Vicksburg 
— it  remained  for  General  Grant  to  throw  the  weight  of  his 
sword  into  the  scale.  The  Arkansas  fairly  caught  the  vessels 
napping,  and,  coming  upon  them  so  unexpectedly,  was  able  to 
drive  her  furious,  and,  as  it  actually  proved,  destructive  way 
through  the  fleets.  The  first  attempt  of  Farragut  to  destroy 
her  was  unsuccessful,  doubtless  owing  to  the  darkness;  and 
the  second  attempt  by  Davis  was  not  followed  up  by  a  general 
attack  of  the  lower  fleet,  owing,  it  would  seem,  to  a  misunder 
standing;  however,  this  letter  of  an  able  officer  and  honest 
man,  written  though  it  may  be  from  a  partisan  stand-point, 
is  one  of  the  data  upon  which  reliable  history  must  be  formed. 
His  strictures  are  not  to  be  carelessly  disregarded  or  con 
temned. 

This  friendly  letter  from  Commodore  Paulding  is  a  sample 
of  the  hearty  and  brotherly  style  of  correspondence  and  inter 
course  that,  for  some  reason  or  other,  prevails  in  the  Navy,  in 
which,  if  we  mistake  not,  there  is  more  of  real  esprit  de  corps 
than  even  in  the  Army ;  the  heart  speaks  right  out,  and  there 
is  an  almost  womanish  tenderness  among  men  who  have  seen 
danger  and  toil  in  their  sternest  aspects : 

"  NAVY  YARD,  NEW  YORK,  July  27,  1862. 

"  MY  DEAR  FLAG-OFFICER, — I  was  charmed  to  get  your  letter  yester 
day,  which  I  scarcely  deserved  for  having  so  long  omitted  to  tender  you 
my  congratulations  on  your  safe  return  to  your  home,  family,  and  friends. 
For  one,  I  long  felt  great  solicitude  about  you,  and  feared  there  were 
many  chances  against  a  partial  recovery  even  of  your  limbs ;  and  when 
you  told  me  of  swelling,  fever,  and  loss  of  appetite,  I  feared  greatly  for 

AA 


352  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

the  gallant  friend  whose  deeds  have  swelled  my  heart  with  pride  and 
pleasure. 

"  I  am  glad  they  have  paid  you  the  compliment  of  placing  you  at  the 
head  of  a  Bureau,  and  am  sure  that  any  place  you  may  assume  will  be 
well  filled ;  and  yet  for  your  health,  and  for  the  service  that  we  want  you 
to  perform,  might  well  question  the  propriety  of  your  doing  any  thing 
just  now  to  irritate  your  lameness  or  hazard  your  permanent  cure  at  an 
early  day.  To  go  from  your  home  in  Washington,  wherever  it  may  be,  to 
the  Department,  in  the  condition  your  foot  is  in,  may  do  this ;  and,  with 
all  my  interest  in  what  may  concern  your  present  pride  and  dignity,  I 
could  have  wished  they  had  let  you  alone  until  you  had  time  to  get  well. 
You  could  well  help  on  at  the  West  when  there  was  so  much  to  be  done — 
fighting  and  working  on  crutches  while  there  was  any  thing  left  of  you ; 
but  now,  in  a  different  position  in  public  life,  they  should  let  you  alone, 
or  give  you  the  nominal  supervision  of  your  Bureau. 

"  I  have  tried  to  write  every  day  since  your  letter  came,  but  my  inter 
ruptions  are  so  continual  that  I  am  eye  and  head  weary. 

"  I  had  a  letter  from yesterday  from  Mosquito  Inlet,  where  he 

is  commander-in-chief,  and  so  desperately  in  love  with  his  wife  that 
nothing  but  a  fight,  I  should  think,  would  take  the  homesickness  out  of 
him. 

"  I  read  to  Leonard  what  you  said  of  him.  He  made  no  reply,  but 
is  always  full  of  admiration  of  your  naval  skill  and  cool,  determined 
valor. 

"  The  only  picture  I  have  in  my  house  is  yours.  Come  and  see  it,  if 
you  can,  when  you  pass  on.  I  will  give  you  good  quarters  and  hearty  wel 
come.  Your  friend  Captain  Boggs,  of  the  tug,  has  just  stepped  in.  He 
says  there  is  nobody  like  you.  I  write  in  some  haste.  My  kind  congrat 
ulations  and  all  my  good  wishes  to  Mrs.  Foote,  Petite,  and  the  boy.  * 

"  Your  friend,  H.  PAULDING." 

During  these  years  of  the  war,  and  especially  the  eventful 
year  1862,  when  the  country  was  passing  through  its  profound- 
est  crisis,  every  convocation  of  the  people — political,  religious, 
or  educational — partook  of  the  warlike  and  patriotic  character 
of  the  times.  The  country's  safety  was  the  uppermost  topic. 
The  toga  then  yielded  to  arms.  The  men  of  action  went 
before  the  men  of  thought.  The  churches  were  assemblies  of 


Commencement  Day  at  Yale  College.         353 

those  who  prayed  for  the  success  of  the  Union  arms  or  sought 
strength  to  make  great  sacrifices.  The  colleges  and  schools 
of  learning  were  filled  with  this  patriotic  and  martial  spirit. 
The  Commencement  Day  of  Yale  College  in  New  Haven 
this  year  occurred  on  the  30th  of  July.  There  was  a  large 
gathering  of  the  alumni  of  the  college ;  and  although  the  usual 
business  of  the  meeting  was  duly  dispatched,  evidently  the 
great  controlling  object  of  the  assembly  was  that  of  the  coun 
try's  condition.  This  was  the  gravitating  current  of  every  ad 
dress  and  the  intense  thought  of  every  heart.  Those  present 
will  not  forget  the  impressive  scene  when,  advancing  slowly 
through  the  crowd  of  scholars  and  civilians,  Commodore  Foote 
made  his  way  on  crutches  and  took  his  seat  upon  the  platform. 
For  a  moment  there  was  a  hush  of  silence,  and  then  a  burst  of 
enthusiastic  greeting.  He  was  dressed  in  full  uniform.  His 
head,  carried  erect  and  proud,  his  full,  black  eye,  his  earnest 
brow,  his  pale  face,  his  form  bearing  the  marks  of  wounds 
and  sufferings,  contributed  to  make  a  picture  both  noble  and 
pathetic. 

After  a  resolution  in  relation  to  the  public  exigency  had 
been  introduced  and  spoken  upon  by  Hon.  W.  W.  Ellsworth, 
Prof.  Thacher  rose  and  quoted  the  Latin  phrase,  "  Ex  pede 
Herculem"  which  the  audience  translated  by  loud  cries  of 
"Foote!" 

He  thereupon  arose  and  spoke  briefly.  He  referred  to  the 
advantages  of  a  college  education  in  every  department  and 
business  of  life,  and  paid  a  tribute  to  Yale  as  not  forgetting 
the  claims  of  a  practical  nature  upon  every  true  man,  and 
the  good  of  the  country  and  of  humanity,  in  her  method  of 
education.  He  spoke  also  of  the  Western  campaign,  gave 
high  praise  to  General  Halleck,  and  urged  on  educated  young 
men  the  necessity  of  engaging  at  this  critical  hour  in  the  serv 
ice  of  the  country.  He  concluded  by  an  allusion  to  his  old 
friend  President  Roberts,  of  Liberia,  who  was  seated  near  him. 


354  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

On  that  day,  30th  of  July — although  the  appointment  dated 
back  to  the  16th — he  officially  received  the  appointment  of 
Hear- Admiral  on  the  Active  List. 

He  had  thus  risen  to  the  highest  rank  belonging  to  his  pro 
fession,  and  risen,  not  by  a  sudden  leap,  but  by  regular  steps, 
by  filling  every  subordinate  position,  by  hard  labor  and  toil, 
by  actual  worth  and  noble  deeds. ' 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

CONGRATULATIONS   AND   CORRESPONDENCE. — SWORD  PEESENTATION 
AT   BROOKLYN. 

CONGRATULATORY  letters  from  old  friends  in  great  numbers 
followed  upon  his  new  appointment,  of  which  we  subjoin  two 

or  three : 

"  WASHINGTON,  August  2, 1862. 

"  MY  DEAR  ADMIRAL, — It  was  my  intention  to  have  sent  my  congratu 
lations  on  your  promotion  with  the  commission,  but  my  time  is  not  within 
'  my  control.  You  know  that  my  congratulations  and  regard  are  none  the 
less  sincere  than  if  earlier  tendered.  Long  may  you  live  to  bear  the  title 
and  wear  the  honors  you  have  so  gallantly  earned. 

"  I  trust  your  health  and  wounds  continue  to  improve.  It  has  occurred 
to  me  that,  under  the  circumstances  of  your  debility,  it  might  be  impru 
dent  for  you  to  come  from  the  North,  at  this  early  period,  to  such  an  un 
healthy  place  as  Washington  is  at  this  season.  Should  such  be  the  case, 
and  you  would  prefer  to  delay  your  entrance  upon  your  Bureau  duties,  I 
do  not  think  any  particular  inconvenience  would  result  therefrom  for  the 
present.  I  mention  this  in  order  that  you  may  take  your  own  time  to 
come  here,  for  affairs  can  go  on  as  heretofore  for  a  few  weeks  without  se 
rious  injury. 

"  I  am  in  hopes  I  shall  be  able  to  leave  Washington  the  latter  part  of 
the  month  for  a  week  or  two.  Respectfully,  GIDEON  WELLES." 

"'SABINE,'  NEW  LONDON, August  1,1862. 

"  MY  DEAR  ADMIRAL, — It  is  a  source  of  deep  regret  that  I  could  not 
make  you  a  visit.  A  dispatch  from  the  Secretary  yesterday,  directing 
me  to  send  '  every  available  man  on  board  to  Cairo,  111.,  immediately,'  gave 
me,  as  you  may  suppose,  occupation,  and  necessitated  my  foregoing  the 
pleasure  of  visiting  you. 

"  My  good  ship  has  really  created  an  excitement  in  New  London ;  and, 
touching  the  facilities  of  the  harbor  for  naval  purposes,  it  promises  great 


356  Life  of  A dmiral  Foote. 

advantages.  I  wish  you  could  have  seen  my  ship.  To  have  had  her  in 
spected  by  you,  and  to  have  given  you  your  first  salute  as  an  admiral, 
believe  me  when  I  say  it,  would  have  been  to  me  most  gratifying.  Rest 
ing  as  the  Sdbine  does  in  the  waters  of  your  own  state,  there  appears  to 
me  something  peculiarly  appropriate  in  this,  and  I  lament  that  your  de 
parture  will  prevent  me  having  the  pleasure  of  extending  the  hand  to 
you.  Allow  me  to  ask  the  favor  to  be  very  kindly  presented  to  Mrs. 
Foote,  and  I  wish  you  to  know  how  pleased  I  am  to  address  you  as  Ad 
miral.  Very  truly  your  friend,  C.  RINGGOLD." 

"FORTRESS  MONROE, VA.,  August  4, 1862. 
"  ADMIRAL  FOOTE,  U.  S.  N.,  New  Haven,  Conn. : 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — It  is  with  great  joy  I  hasten  to  congratulate  my  old 
and  esteemed  commander — and  the  service  and  country  as  well — on  his 
well-merited  promotion  to  the  high  grade  of  Admiral.  I  felt  when  I  read 
the  news  as  if  I  myself  had  been  honored ;  and  I  think  I  will  hold  on 
to  the  notion,  since  I  declared  when  you  were  put  in  command  at  the 
West  that  you  were  the  right  man  for  the  place,  and  I  accordingly  in 
vested  in  you  my  entire  stock  of  confidence.  Success  is  almost  certain 
where  professional  skill,  heroism,  and  Christian  faith  are  combined.  I  am 
sure  you  will  be  greatly  encouraged  to  go  on  in  setting  us  all  a  high  ex 
ample  of  what  constitutes  the  true  officer. 

"  I  am  paymaster  in  charge  of  stores  for  the  squadron,  with  my  stores 
and  clerks  on  board  of  s^tore-schooners  scattered  over  all  this  now  exten 
sive  station.  I  wish  you  could  come  here  as  admiral  of  the  squadron. 
I  learn  that  Admiral  Goldsborough  has  applied  to  be  relieved.  I  have 
been  hoping  you  might  come. 

"  Very  truly  and  respectfully  yours,  THOMAS  H.  TOOKER. 

"  P.  S. — I  trust  your  wounds  are  healing  rapidly." 

"ALBANY,  August  12, 1862. 

"  REAR-ADMIRAL  FOOTE, — Is  not  that  a  good  title  ?  And  how  heartily 
I  congratulate  you  on  it,  you  very  well  know. 

"  I  wrote  you  a  few  days  ago  at  New  Haven,  and  hope  you  received  the 
precious  document.  I  leave  here  on  Monday  next  for  Cairo.  I  go  witli 
heavy  heart,  in  view  of  the  acting-lieutenancy  that  I  still  hold ;  neverthe 
less,  I  go  with  mind  brimful  of  patriotism. 

"  The  last  pay-bill  gives  to  acting-lieutenants  $1875,  and  a  ration  when 
at  sea.  Is  there  no  way  that  I  can  be  regarded  as  on  sea-service  ?  I  think 


An  Appeal  from  a  Son.  357 

I  ought  to  be  placed  on  the  sea-list,  as  all  my  stores  are  afloat.  I  shall  be 
the  only  sea-officer  in  the  Western  flotilla  who  receives  shore  pay.  You 
know  how  responsible  my  duties  are,  and  how  constant  they  are,  and  that 
I  deserve  the  increased  pay.  I  have  hope  that  the  next  Congress  will  do 
me  justice. 

"  If  you  get  the  command  of  a  fleet,  recollect  that  I  must  go  with  you. 
I  expect  to  hear  of  your  having  the  Hampton  Roads  fleet  any  day.  I 
have  had  such  quiet  and  domestic  happiness  in  my  visit  hence,  that  it  is 
hard  to  leave  my  family.  When  leisure  and  inclination  prompt,  let  me 
hear  from  you.  Sincerely  yours, 

"  J.  P.  SANFORD,  Ordnance-Officer  of  Flotilla." 

The  following  is  a  letter  of  more  sombre  hue ;  and,  as  a  son 
pleading  the  cause  of  a  father,  it  is  so  noble  that  we  insert  it 

here: 

"  MISSISSIPPI  FLOTILLA,  CAIRO,  ILL.,  August  28, 1862. 

"  MY  DEAR,  ADMIRAL, — I  have  just  learned,  what  you  have  probably 
known  before,  that  my  father  has  been  considered  by  the  late  Advisory 
Board  unfit  for  promotion  to  the  rank  of  Commodore — in  other  words,  has 
been  overslaughed. 

"  I  have  taken  the  liberty  to  address  you,  for  I  know  you  are  one  of  my 
father's  fast  friends.  By  the  Retiring  Board  of  1854,  which  scrutinized 
the  merits  of  officers  far  more  strictly  than  the  present  Board  could  have 
had  time  to  do,  nothing  was  alleged  against  him.  From  that  time  until 
the  breaking  out  of  the  present  war  he  was  not  on  duty,  notwithstanding 
repeated  applications,  because  his  position  in  the  list  obliged  him  to  wait, 
as  you  well  know,  until  others  above  him  had  been  served  in  turn. 

"At  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  father  was  assigned  to  the  Mississippi. 
He  continued  in  command  for  some  nine  months,  when  he  was  suddenly 
relieved  by  Captain  Melancthon  Smith,  and  ordered  home.  Upon  reach 
ing  Washington,  he  was  informed  by  the  Department  that  he  had  been 
relieved  '  upon  vague  and  indefinite  rumors '  in  relation  to  the  ram  Ma- 


"  The  facts  in  this  instance  were,  that  when  the  Mississippi  was  blockad 
ing  off  Pass  a  1'Outre,  the  Manasses  remained  in  sight  of  the  Mississippi 
two  days,  but  all  the  while  inside  of  the  bar.  Some  newspaper  corre 
spondent  reflected  severely  upon  father  for  not  attacking  her.  There 
were  seventeen  feet  of  water  on  the  bar ;  the  Mississippi  drew  twenty-one 
feet.  At  the  time  of  the  attack  upon  New  Orleans,  with  every  thing  out  of 


358  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

her,  it  required  all  her  power  and  that  of  two  other  steamers  to  force  her 
over.  Admiral  Farragut  never  made  any  report  in  the  case,  and  the  whole 
rests  upon  the  bare  statement  of  an  ignorant  newspaper  correspondent. 

"  My  father  was  terribly  mortified  and  chagrined.  He  told  Secretary 
Welles,  and  I  believe  he  meant  it,  that  he  would  rather  have  been  shot 
than  ordered  home. 

"  You  have  all  the  facts  as  far  as  I  believe  that  any  thing  rests  against 
him. 

"  No  officer  in  the  Navy  loves  his  profession  better,  or  has  sought  to  do 
his  duty  more  strictly  than  my  father— I  feel  you  will  agree  with  me.  By 
accident  I  happened  to  see  him  on  his  return  from  the  Gulf,  and  the  deep 
depression  of  spirits  and  mortification,  which  he  could  not  seem  to  throw 
off,  make  me  fear  that  this  last  blow  will  be  almost  too  much  for  him  to 
bear.  But  there  is  a  good  God  who  rules  all  things,  and  it  is  my  prayer 
that  He  will  not  try  him  without  giving  to  father  divine  strength  to  meet 
this  undeserved  disgrace  with  resignation. 

"  I  would  make  a  personal  request  of  you,  my  dear  sir — that  you  would 
see  the  Secretary,  and  obtain  decided  information  whether  father  will  now 
be  retained  in  command  of  the  San  Francisco  for  three  years  or  not.  It 
was  mother's  intention  to  have  joined  him  in  California,  with  some  of  the 
family,  the  coming  October.  It  will  save  her  much  expense,  and  a  long 
and  arduous  journey,  if  you  can  obtain  this  information  and  let  her  know, 
directing  to  the  care  of  J.I.  Soley,  Esq.,  Boston. 

"  I  trust  you  will  excuse  this  long  letter  from  me.  I  feel  deeply — very 
deeply— this  blow  at  father's  reputation,  because  I  know  it  is  so  entirely 
undeserved.  Father's  professional  path  has  in  the  later  years  of  his  life 
been  strewn  with  thorns ;  and  to  one  to  whom  professional  reputation 
has  been  so  great  an  object,  this  last  injustice,  I  know,  will  bring  him  in 
sorrow  to  the  grave. 

"  With  renewed  hopes  that  you  may  soon  recover  that  health  whose 
loss  you  have  suffered  in  the  service  of  our  beloved  country, 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be  most  sincerely  your  obedient  servant, 
"  THOMAS  O.  SELFRIDGE,  Jr., 

"  Lieutenant-Commanding  U.  S.  N." 

Such  a  letter  as  the  foregoing  could  never  have  been  ad 
dressed  to  one  who  had  not  the  power  of  drawing  out  the  con 
fidence  of  others — who  had  not  great  simplicity  and  sympathy. 
It  could  not  have  been  written  to  a  mere  official,  who  looked 


Letter  of  David  D.  Porter.  359 

at  things  in  a  routine  way,  and  who  had  lost  the  true  feelings 
of  a  man  in  a  merely  quarter-deck  view  of  authority. 

In  regard  to  the  flotilla,  the  correspondence  during  the  sum 
mer  and  autumn  of  1862,  more  fitful  and  far  between,  is  still 
kept  up  between  Foote  and  his  former  associates  at  the  "West. 
In  point  of  discipline,  efficiency,  and  fighting  power,  the  fleet 
rather  degenerated  after  the  battle  of  Memphis,  chiefly  on  ac 
count  of  the  changes  among  and  loss  of  old  officers.  The 
Benton  still  remained  formidable ;  the  Cairo  and  Pittsburg 
were  of  little  use,  and  the  Louisville  hardly  better ;  the  Cin 
cinnati  leaked  badly  after  coming  off  the  stocks ;  the  Caron- 
delet  had  been  badly  cut  up  by  the  Arkansas,  while  the  Mound 
City  remained  without  a  crew,  until  Captain  Gwin  took  her 
and  made  her  an  efficient  vessel.  The  Benton  and  the  East- 
port  were  really  the  only  effective  iron-clads  left  on  the  river. 
We  would  anticipate  a  few  months,  and  give  a  letter  of  David 
D.  Porter,  who  succeeded  Davis  in  the  command  of  the  Missis 
sippi  squadron,  and  then  we  must  dismiss  the  fortunes  of  that 
flotilla  which  has  necessarily  occupied  so  much  of  our  atten 
tion: 

"  U.  S.  MISSISSIPPI  SQUADRON,  YAZOO  RIVER,  ] 
January  3, 1863.  ) 

"  MY  DEAR  ADMIRAL, — I  have  not  had  time  to  answer  your  letter  in 

relation  to .    I  appointed  him  a  master-mate,  and  he  got 

drunk  the  first  night  he  went  on  shore,  and  broke  his  liberty ;  so  says  the 
report  of  his  commander,  who  recommended  him  for  promotion.  I  could 
not  overlook  the  offense,  and  keep  up  my  character  for  consistency.  We 
have  had  lively  times  up  the  Yazoo — imagine  the  Yazoo  becoming  the 
theatre  of  war.  We  waded  through  sixteen  miles  of  torpedoes  to  get  at 
the  forts  (seven  in  number)  ;  but  when  we  got  thus  far,  the  fire  on  the 
boats  from  the  riflemen,  in  pits  dug  for  miles  along  the  river,  and  from  the 
batteries,  became  very  annoying  ;  and  that  gallant  fellow  Gwin  thought 
he  could  check  them,  which  he  did  until  he  was  knocked  over  with  the 
most  fearful  wound  I  ever  saw.  He  could  not  advance,  the  torpedoes 
popping  up  ahead  as  thick  as  mushrooms,  and  we  have  had  pretty  good 
evidence  of  their  power  for  mischief.  I  never  saw  more  daring  displayed 


360  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

than  by  the  brave  fellows  who  did  the  work.  The  forts  are  powerful 
works,  out  of  the  reach  of  ships,  and  on  high  hills,  plunging  their  shot 
through  the  upper  deck,  and  the  river  is  so  narrow  that  only  one  vessel 
could  engage  them  until  the  torpedoes  could  all  be  removed.  The  old 
war-horse  (Bentori)  retained  her  ancient  renown,  and,  though  much  cut 
up,  is  ready  for  any  thing.  Gwin  there  is  little  hope  for :  no  man  could 
live  with  such  a  wound.  He  is  a  noble,  gallant  fellow.  I  have  him  in 
my  cabin,  and  do  all  I  can  for  him ;  his  sufferings  are  terrible. 

"  The  same  day  the  army  made  an  assault  on  the  forts  back  of  Vicks- 
burg ;  it  was  a  fearful  place  they  went  through,  with  double  their  num 
ber  opposed  to  them.  They  drove  the  rebels  like  sheep,  who  fired  into 
their  ewn  fugitives,  and  knocked  them  over  like  nine-pins.  That  helped 
our  party  some ;  but  our  reserve  (a  new  regiment)  fired  into  our  own 
troops  while  they  were  going  to  the  batteries,  and  the  supporting  bri 
gade  did  not  come  up  to  the  scratch.  The  men  on  the  batteries  were 
cut  off  by  the  rebels  when  they  saw  them  unsupported,  and  were  cut  to 
pieces.  We  lost  fifteen  hundred  men  in  about  ten  minutes.  Vicksburg 
was  at  one  time  ours,  but  we  had  not  men  enough  to  repeat  the  experi 
ment.  The  result  has  been,  in  two  days  Vicksburg  has  been  reinforced 
by  twenty  thousand  men  from  Grenada,  and  ten  thousand  from  Jackson, 
and  we  can  do  nothing  until  reinforced.  In  front,  Vicksburg  is  unassail 
able,  as  it  is  fortified  in  every  direction  with  the  best  of  guns.  I  don't 
know  what  the  army  will  do  now. 

"  McClernand  has  just  arrived,  and  will  take  command.  Our  plan  was 
for  Sherman  to  arrive  here  on  the  25th,  while  Grant  pushed  on  to  Canton 
with  fifty  thousand  men,  to  come  in  on  the  rear  of  Vicksburg.  Grant  has 
not  been  heard  from,  and  it  was  deemed  necessary  to  attack  Vicksburg 
before  it  could  be  reinforced ;  now  it  will  take  a  large  army  to  capture 
it.  The  rivers  are  all  too  low  for  the  Navy  to  operate  with  any  thing  but 
light-draft  boats,  but  in  a  month  we  will  begin  to  have  water.  The  old 
iron-clads  are  all  breaking  down;  but  in  two  months  I  expect  to  get 
some  of  the  new  ones,  which  are  pretty  good  vessels.  I  have  to  send 
away  four  vessels  to-morrow,  in  consequence  of  fears  entertained  by  some 
generals  about  invasion.  Don't  be  astonished  at  the  list  of  darkies  I  send 
you.  I  could  get  no  white  men,  so  I  work  them  in.  They  do  first-rate, 
and  behave  far  better  than  their  masters.  Give  my  kindest  regards  to 
Mrs.  F.,  and  believe  me  very  sincerely  yours,  DAVID  D.  PORTER. 

"  Kear-Admiral  Andrew  H.Foote,  U.  S.  N.,  Chief  of  Bureau  ) 


of  Equipment  and  Recruits,  Washington,  D.  C." 


Presentation  of  a  Sword.  361 

In  the  month  of  May,  1862,  Commodore  Foote  received  a 
note  from  a  number  of  gentlemen  in  Brooklyn,  N.Y.,  signi 
fying  their  desire  to  present  him  a  sword  as  a  token  of  per 
sonal  esteem  and  of  admiration  for  his  public  services,  and  re 
quested  him  to  name  a  time  for  the  presentation.  About  the 
middle  of  the  following  September  the  presentation  took  place 
in  the  Brooklyn  Athenaeum,  in  the  presence  of  many  distin 
guished  naval  officers  and  of  a  brilliant  assembly  of  citizens. 
The  sword  was  ornamented  with  devices  having  reference  to 
the  exploits  of  our  hero  in  various  parts  of  the  world.*  In 

*  The  sworcl  was  an  elegant  one,  having  cost  $3500.  It  is  thus  de 
scribed  :  "  The  pummel  represents  a^golden  hemisphere,  studded  with 
stars,  on  which  rest  branches  of  olive  and  oak,  beneath  a  group  of  trophies. 
The  guard,  which  is  part  of  the  chief  feature  of  the  whole,  contains  a  basso- 
relievo  of  Neptune  returning  triumphant  on  his  car.  The  figure  of  Nep 
tune,  bold  and  spirited,  stands  in  his  car,  leaning  upon  his  trident ;  at  his 
feet  are  the  spoils  of  victory.  Two  vigorous  horses  draw  the  car  of  the 
god,  attended  by  sea-nymphs  and  tritons  blowing  trumpets.  This  basso- 
relievo  is  encircled  by  open  scroll-work,  forming  a  rich  and  harmonious 
arrangement  of  lines,  the  effect  of  which  is  exceedingly  pleasing.  At  the 
bottom  of  the  guard  is  a  boldly  modeled  head  of  a  dolphin.  On  the 
scabbard  are  a  series  of  relievos,  illustrating  some  of  the  prominent  ex 
ploits  of  the  bold  sailor  to  whom  this  was  given.  First  is  exhibited 
Foote's  bombardment  of  Chinese  forts,  with  appropriate  ornamental  em 
blems  and  scenery.  The  second  exhibits  skillful  and  daring  operations 
in  the  bombardment  of  Island  No.  Ten,  wherein  the  uncouth  mortar- 
boats  are  wrought  out  in  great  perfection — the  slanting  sides,  smoke 
stacks,  port-holes,  etc.,  of  the  bomb-ketches  being  set  forth  with  great 
accuracy.  There  are  also  various  incidents  of  operations  on  the  Cumber 
land  and  Tennessee  rivers.  Lower  down  are  emblematic  allusions  to 
Foote's  experience  on  the  African  coast.  The  following  inscription  is  cut 
on  the  scabbard  in  beautiful  characters :  '  Presented  by  the  citizens  of 
Brooklyn  to  Flag-Officer  Andrew  H.  Foote,  as  a  testimonial  of  their  high 
personal  regard,  of  their  appreciation  of  his  eminent  professional  char 
acter,  distinguished  public  services,  and  moral  influence  in  a  long  career 
of  active  duty ;  and  especially  of  his  efficiency  in  the  suppression  of  the 
slave-trade  on  the  coast  of  Africa;  his  gallant  conduct  in  the  destruction 
of  the  Barrier  Forts  in  China ;  his  masterly  skill  and  energy  in  the  crea 
tion  of  a  flotilla,  and  of  his  brilliant  and  intrepid  bombardment  therewith 
of  the  rebel  fortifications  of  the  Tennessee,  the  Cumberland,  and  the  Mis 
sissippi.'  The  sword-blade  is  richly  covered  with  artistic  designs,  and 


362  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

his  reply  to  the  address  which  was  made  to  him  he  made  ref 
erence  to  those  scenes  represented  upon  the  sword,  saying, 
among  other  things,  that  "  the  difficulties  of  creating  the  flo 
tilla — the  days  and  nights  of  mental  agony  in  its  preparation 
—rendered  the  subsequent  fighting,  speaking  comparatively,  a 
pleasant  episode ;"  and  he  closed  his  speech  with  these  words, 
which  were  received  with  great  applause : 

"  Again,  then,  I  thank  you  for  this  beautiful  sword,  which  I  shall  ever 
regard  as  a  personal  gift  of  friends  who  have  elevated  and  ennobled  the 
walkf  of  civil  life.  I  shall  carefully  preserve  it.  I  shall  endeavor  to  be 
worthy  of  it.  And  I  shall  hope  to  transmit  it  to  my  latest  posterity  as 
an  evidence  of  your  friendship  and  appreciation,  and  as  an  inducement 
to  them  to  be  faithful  in  vindicating  our  glorious  Union,  and  the  suprem 
acy  of  the  Constitution  and  the  laws — at  home  and  abroad — against  in 
ternal  and  external  enemies.  I  will  wield  it  for  the  whole  country  against 
any  state — aye,  even  the  State  of  New  York  or  Connecticut — should  either 
prove  recreant  in  attempting  to  withdraw  their  star — the  emblem  of 
their  state — from  the  blue  union  of  our  glorious  old  flag. 

"  To  this  end  I  pray  that  I  may  be  enabled  to  act  as  faithfully  in  the 
future  as  I  humbly  hope  I  have  done  in  the  past — when  meeting  our  ene 
mies  in  the  East,  as  in  my  efforts  toward  crushing  this  atrocious^  rebell 
ion  in  the  South.  I  say  this  atrocious  rebellion;  and  is  it  not  an  atro 
cious  rebellion,  when  the  South  is  presenting  the  mournful  spectacle  to 
the  civilized  world  of  having  voluntarily  gone  into  the  election  of  the 
Presidency  as  prescribed  by  the  Constitution,  and,  finding  itself  in  the 
minority,  attempts  to  rule  or  ruin  the  government  it  had,  in  common 
with  the  North,  fought  to  establish  ? 

"  The  occasion  and  circumstances  have  led  me  to  revert  to  past  scenes 
and  personal  services.  Having  done  this,  permit  me,  in  this  solemn  crisis, 
to  add  that  a  glorious  future  is  assuredly  open  to  us  and  to  our  country, 
under  Providence,  on  the  condition  that  the  entire  loyal  North  immedi 
ately  arises  in  its  might,  laying  aside  all  other  considerations,  and  concen 
trates  its  power  to  the  work  of  crushing  this  monster  rebellion  finally  and 
forever." 


near  the  hilt,  surrounded  with  graceful  scroll-work,  is  the  motto — 'Ducit 
amor  patricB."1 " 


Sword  Presentation.  363 

One  of  the  papers  of  the  day,  in  its  account  of  this  affair, 


"  As  soon  as  the  noble  sailor  made  his  appearance,  the  audience  arose 
and  gave  cheer  upon  cheer,  waving  their  hats  and  handkerchiefs  with  a 
patriotic  enthusiasm  seldom  witnessed.  Admiral  Foote  is  not  only  a  good 
fighter,  but  an  eloquent  impromptu  speaker,  with  a  full,  rich  voice,  and  a 
ready  command  of  language.  In  person,  he  is  of  ordinary  stature,  well 
built,  with  plump  limbs  and  square  shoulders.  He  has  dark  brown  hair, 
not  silvered  enough  to  be  noticed ;  but  his  whiskers  are  well  frosted. 
His  head  is  finely  developed,  and  when  he  speaks  his  eyes  flash  with  elec 
tric  fire.  When  he  raised  the  beautiful  sword  and  wielded  it,  saykig, '  I 
will  draw  this  sword  in  defense  of  the  Union  and  the  Constitution  and 
the  country,'  the  spell-bound  audience  broke  forth  in  demonstrations  of 
applause." 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

LOSS     OF     CHILDREN. CORRESPONDENCE    AT    WASHINGTON. AP 
POINTMENT    TO     COMMAND     OF     SOUTH    ATLANTIC 
SQUADRON. — LAST   DAYS   AND   DEATH. 

PUBLIC  honors  were  quickly  followed  by  a  deep  family 
affliction,  the  death  of  the  admiral's  two  youngest  daughters, 
Emily  Frederica  and  Maria  Eudocia,  within  ten  days  of  each 
other.  The  first  of  these  was  a  little  blind  girl,  whom  her  fa 
ther  regarded  with  a  peculiar  tenderness,  always  asking  when 
he  came  into  the  house,  before  he  spoke  with  any  one  else, 
"  Where  is  my  little  Emily  ?"  The  second  was  a  lovely  child 
of  seven  years  of  age  ;  and  thus,  within  six  months,  three  chil 
dren  were  taken  from  him.  The  letters  of  sympathy  which 
came  from  men  overwhelmed  with  great  public  cares  do  honor 
to  their  writers'  hearts.  Admiral  Joseph  Smith,  before  little 
Maria  had  died,  prays  that  "Petite  "  may  be  spared  to  her  fa 
ther  ;  and  as  the  following  letter  has  relation  also  to  the  move 
ments  and  plans  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  we  here  give  it 
in  full: 

"  WASHINGTON,  October  15, 1862. 

"MY  DEAR  SIR, — Admiral  Smith  submitted  to  me  your  note  to  him 
announcing  your  affliction,  and  has  doubtless  written  you  my  desire  that 
you  would,  under  this  dispensation,  take  your  own  time  and  your  own 
way  to  resume  your  duties. 

"  Believe  me,  my  dear  sir,  I  most  deeply  sympathize  with  you  as  a  friend 
and  parent,  for  I  also  have  been  bereaved,  having  five  times  followed  to 
the  grave  those  who,  in  the  course  of  nature,  I  had  anticipated  would 
have  done  me  that  sad  office. 

"  The  sufferings  and  death  of  our  children  are  hard  to  endure,  and  our 
consolation  is  not  of  this  world  when  such  sorrows  are  upon  us.  To  Him 


Bureau  of  Equipment  and  Recruiting.        365 

who  gave  and  who  has  taken  to  himself  the  gifts  that  are  so  precious 
we  must  look,  and  in  Him  put  our  trust. 

"  Give  yourself  no  thought  or  care  of  the  duties  now.  They  shall  be 
attended  to. 

"  With  kindest  regard  and  sincerest  sympathy  to  Mrs.  Foote  and  your 
self,  believe  me,  very  truly  yours,  GIDEON  WELLES." 

Although  Admiral  Foote  could  not  enter  as  yet  entirely 
upon  his  duties  as  Chief  of  Bureau  of  Equipment  and  Recruit 
ing,  he  still  was  in  consultation  with  the  government  in  regard 
to  its  affairs,  as  this  extract  from  a  letter  dated  September  20, 
1862,  emanating  from  his  office,  will  indicate : 

"  I  have  carefully  considered  the  proposition  and  views  of  Mr.  de  la 
Montagnie,  consul  of  the  United  States  at  Nantes,  with  reference  to  ob 
taining  sailors  for  the  Navy. 

"  I  consider  the  plan  objectionable,  especially  that  part  of  it  mducing 
the  Norwegian  sailors  in  Nantes  to  leave  their  vessels  in  England,  as  it 
would  involve  a  responsibility  of  employing  an  agent  or  agents  in  differ 
ent  ports  of  England  for  the  transportation  of  them  to  the  United  States ; 
besides,  the  number  of  Norwegian  sailors  thus  obtained  would  be  but 
comparatively  few  to  the  amount1  of  expense  and  risk  of  implication. 

"  While  Norway  possesses  the  largest  merchant  marine  of  any  country 
in  Europe  except  England  and  France,  yet  comparatively  few  Norwegian 
sailors  enter  our  service,  and  the  reason  is,  they  seldom  desert  their  vessels 
in  foreign  ports,  and  are  strongly  attached  to  their  homes. 

"  As  emigration  is  increasing,  and  our  mode  of  warfare  at  sea  of  late 
has  been  modified  by  the  iron-clads,  we  require  a  less  number  of  sailors. 
Landsmen  are  quickly  trained  in  the  exercise  of  guns,  etc.  I  am  induced 
to  believe  the  better  plan  would  be  to  employ  some  agent  or  agents  to 
publish  in  different  parts  of  Germany  and  in  the  North  of  Europe  the 
high  wages,  etc.,  that  the  United  States  Government  pays  to  seamen, 
landsmen,  and  boys  who  are  entering  our  Navy ;  this  might  have  the  ef 
fect  of  inducing  young  men,  especially  in  the  North  of  Europe,  to  emi 
grate  for  the  purpose  of  entering  the  service. 

"  In  the  free  port  of  Hamburg,  more  sailors  could  be  procured  than 
in  any  port  in  Europe ;  and  should  any  effort  be  made  to  secure  foreign 
seamen,  this  free  port  would  afford  us  the  greatest  number  without  im 
plicating  our  government. 


366  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

"  Hamburg  is,  as  you  know,  a  free  port,  and  sailors  from  all  nations 
are  there  largely  represented." 

We  are  glad  to  insert  here  one  letter  from  that  noble  sea- 
paladin,  Farragut,  albeit  it  is  of  an  entirely  business  char 
acter  : 

"  NEW  ORLEANS,  March  7, 1863. 

"  DEAR  ADMIRAL, — I  have  received  yours  of  the  16th  ult.,  in  which 
you  give  me  the  pleasing  intelligence  that  you  have  sent  me  one  hundred 
recruits  by  the  Circassian.  If  they  had  been  twenty  days  sooner,  they 
would  have  been  invaluable  to  me ;  as  it  is,  they  are  very  valuable.  I  will 
take  the  men  I  want  from  the  Pensacola,  and  let  Commodore  Morris 
supply  himself  temporarily  from  the  recruits. 

"  I  am  dreadfully  in  want  of  both  officers  and  men.  I  do  not  wish  to 
place  the  vessels  of  war  in  the  hands  of  inexperienced  men,  and  yet  I  do 
not  know  how  to  avoid  it.  Very  truly  yours, 

"  D.  G.  FARRAGUT,  Rear-Admiral. 

"  Rear- Admiral  A.  H.  Foote,  Chief  of  Bureau  of  Equip-  J 
ment  and  Recruiting,  Washington,  D.  C."  f 

At  the  end  of  the  year  1862,  and  the  beginning  of  1863,  we 
find  the  admiral  settled  with  his  family  in  Washington,  busy 
with  the  duties  of  his  new  office,  apparently  throwing  himself 
into  them  with  the  same  ardor  that  he  did  into  active  service ; 
and  we  hear  little  in  regard  to  his  health,  although  it  was  in 
no  sense  reassured,  but  continued  growing  perhaps  gradually 
worse.  Much  of  his  time  and  attention  seems  to  have  been 
taken  up  with  the  matter  of  furnishing  naval  vessels  at  all 

•*•  O 

occupied  stations  on  our  extended  coast  with  coal,  and  fighting 
with  contractors,  public  carriers,  and  owners  of  freight-vessels 
and  chartered  vessels  in  regard  to  their  exorbitant  war-prices. 
It  was  his  habit  to  carry  through  his  measures  at  any  cost,  but 
the  old  Connecticut  blood  in  him  prompted  him  to  the  great 
est  economy  practicable.  He  was  strict  and  scrutinizing  in 
business  matters,  and  was  ever  in  favor  of  retrenchment.  He 
never  gave  way  to  the  feeling  of  irresponsibility  in  the  lavish 


Incessant  Activity.  367 


expenditure  of  the  public  funds  even  in  times  of  great  public 
demoralization  and  peril,  but  kept  a  shrewd  eye  to  the  main 
chance. 

In  the  midst  of  these  busy  scenes  at  the  heart  of  the  war- 
activity  of  the  country,  he  still  found  time  for  a  large  corre 
spondence  both  of  a  public  and  private  nature.  He  forgot  no 
one,  and  interested  himself,  though  unsuccessfully,  to  procure 
a  situation  in  his  Department  commanding  a  good  salary  for 
his  colored  friend,  John  H.  Brooks,  whom  he  soon  afterward 
employed  as  a  personal  attendant  to  go  with  him  to  Charles 
ton.  He  gave  advice  in  regard  to  the  management  of  naval 
academies;  he  was  active  in  his  duties  as  President  of  the 
Connecticut  Soldiers'  Aid  Society;  he  pressed  his  matters  of 
naval  reform  and  temperance,  and  the  better  observance  of 
the  Lord's  day,  with  his  usual  persistency ;  he  found  time  and 
heart  to  write  in  a  playful  strain  to  his  few  old  friends  and  his 
relatives  who  thoroughly  knew  him  ;  but  his  mind  was,  for  the 
most  part,  borne  down  with  sorrow  and  care,  though  always 
hopeful  for  the  country.  A  strictly  private  letter  speaks 
somewhat  of  his  feelings : 

• 

"  BUREAU  OF  EQUIPMENT  AND  RECRUITING,  ) 
WASHINGTON,  January  17,  1863.          f 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — It  lias  been  my  intention  to  snatch  a  few  minutes 
from  the  heavy  pressure  of  my  public  duties  for  the  purpose  of  writing  to 
you.  Thus,  as  the  will  has  been  always  ready,  I  know  that  your  high- 
toned  patriotism  will  not  only  excuse  my  silence,  but  even  approve  and 
applaud  it. 

"  The  governor  and  his  good  wife  are  with  us,  and  are  doing  good,  as 
they  always  do  wherever  they  are.  The  governor  is  sharply  looking  out 
for  the  comfort  of  the  soldiers  of  your  noble  and  gallant  state,  which,  as. 
my  friend  General  Buford  remarked  to  him,  is  '  the  banner  state  in  this, 
war.' 

"  My  duties  are  laborious  in  organizing  my  new  Bureau,  but  I  hope  in 
this  Department  of  which  I  have  charge  to  render  the  Navy  more  effi 
cient.  I  want  as  soon  as  possible  to  be  afloat  again,  and  there  remain  till 

BB 


368  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

we,  under  God,  crush  this  atrocious  rebellion,  which  I  have  the  strongest 
faith  God  will  enable  us  to  do  in  his  good  time. 

"  I  send  an  interesting  discussion  which  the  governor  heard,  also  Sena 
tor  Hales's  attack  on  my  old  friend  Commodore  Smith. 

"  I  am  led  to  make  my  grateful  acknowledgments  to  you  for  the  kind 
and  encouraging  manner  in  which  you  have  sustained  me  in  my  efforts 
thus  far  in  helping  to  crush  the  rebellion.  A  kind  Providence  has 
certainly  favored  my  humble  efforts,  and  to  God  I  would  give  all  the 
glory. 

"  We  all  send  love  to  the  family.  Please  excuse  my  haste,  as  I  have 
no  time  for  private  correspondence. 

"  Very  respectfully  your  friend  and  servant,  A.  H.  FOOTE. 

"  Benjamin  Hoppin,  Esq.,  Providence,  R.  I." 

A  note  of  the  admiral's  to  the  United  States  Christian  Com 
mission,  in  reply  to  a  letter  inviting  him  to  be  present  at  a 
meeting  of  that  body  in  Philadelphia,  was  as  follows : 

"  BUREAU  OP  EQUIPMENT  AND  RECRUITING,  ) 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  Jan.  28, 1863.          f 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — It  is  with  extreme  regret  that  I  am  compelled,  from 
a  heavy  pressure  of  public  business,  to  decline  your  kind  invitation  to  be 
present  and  participate  in  the  exercises  at  the  meeting  of  the  Christian 
Commission  on  Thursday  evening. 

"  The  object  and  importance  of  your  commission  can  not  be  overesti 
mated.  It  will  supply  a  want  long  existing  in  the  Army  and  Navy, 
and  must  enlist  the  sympathies  and  prayers  of  all  true  Christian  patriots. 
"  To  supply  the  spiritual  wants  of  the  public  service  on  the  battle-field 
and  upon  the  ocean,  and  to  lead  our  warriors  to  go  forward  valiantly  in 
the  fight,  acknowledging  God  as  our  ruler,  and  looking  to  him  for  suc 
cess,  will,  I  have  no  doubt,  soon  cause  this  wicked  rebellion  to  culminate 
in  the  restoration  of  our  Union. 

"  I  am,  very  respectfully,  A.  H.  FOOTE. 

"  George  H.  Stuart,  Esq.,  .Chairman  Christian  Com-  ) 
mission,  etc.,  Philadelphia."  f 

One  of  the  many  letters  of  his  friend  Captain  Simpson,  of 
the  Newport  Naval  Academy,  brings  up  the  names  of  old 
ships  that  are  familiar  to  the  readers  of  this  book : 


Correspondence*  369 


"  U.  S.  ACADEMY,  NEWPORT,  R.  I.,  November  18, 1862. 

"  MY  DEAR  ADMIRAL, — I  have  received  your  kind  note  showing  how 
willingly  you  undertook  to  labor  for  my  advancement ;  I  am  very  much 
obliged  to  you  both  for  your  successful  and  unsuccessful  efforts.  As  to 
copies  of  my  book,  I  suppose  that  Captain  Dahlgren  will  order  them 
from  the  publisher. 

"  I  have  written  a  letter  to  the  Superintendent,  calling  his  attention  to 
the  want  of  a  ship  with  two  decks  for  a  practice-ship ;  the  crew  of  the 
John  Adams  were  very  much  crowded  last  summer,  owing  to  the  amount 
of  the  berth-deck  that  was  appropriated  to  the  midshipmen,  of  whom  I 
carried  only  eighty.  The  Plymouth  was  our  old  practice-ship,  but  the 
rebellion  destroyed  her.  The  Portsmouth  is  the  ship  that  I  want  as  a 
substitute  for  the  John  Adams  ;  but,  to  make  her  perfect  for  practice  pur 
poses,  she  must  have  a  light  deck  put  on  her.  It  is  this  that  I  have  ap 
plied  for  in  my  letter  to  the  Superintendent,  and  he  has  promised  to 
send  a  copy  of  my  letter  to  the  Department.  I  fear  that  he  will  not 
take  much  trouble  to  recommend  it,  and,  as  I  know  the  need,  I  feel  the 
importance  of  it.  If  I  have  the  Portsmouth  next  summer,  I  can  carry  at 
least  fifty-five  more  midshipmen,  make  my  men  comfortable,  and  have 
many  other  advantages ;  but  if  nothing  is  done  soon  about  it,  I  shall  have 
to  go  in  the  old  John  again,  which  is  a  very  good  old  ship,  but  is  not  so 
well  adapted  for  the  purpose. 

"  It  would  be  necessary  to  order  the  Portsmouth  home  at  once  from  the 
West  Gulf  squadron,  where  I  doubt  if  her  loss  will  be  felt.  If  it  is  to  be 
done  at  all,  it  had  better  be  done  at  once ;  and  I  will  be  much  obliged  to 
you  if  you  will  endeavor  to  put  the  old  ship,  which  you  commanded 
with  so  much  credit  and  distinction,  to  a  useful  purpose— the  most  useful, 
perhaps,  that  a  sailing-vessel  can  be  applied  to  at  present. 
"  Very  respectfully  and  truly  yours, 

"  E.  SIMPSON,  Commandant  of  Midshipmen." 

How  changed  the  times  in  respect  to  naval  matters  since  the 
Portsmouth  pushed  up  her  wooden  walls  to  the  side  of  stone 
forts  in  the  Canton  river !  Iron  and  earth  had  taken  the  place 
of  wood  and  stone.  Dashing  boldness  in  storming  and  assault 
was  now  yielding  to  more  exact,  science  and  calculation  as  to 
the  resisting  quality  of  iron,  and  the  smashing  and  dislodging 
power  of  shot.  Admiral  Foote,  as  has  been  said  before,  be- 


37°  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

longed  both  to  the  old  and  the  new  periods.  His  audacious 
boldness  in  attack  has  been  compared  with  that  of  Paul  Jones 
and  Decatur;  but  he  gladly  availed  himself  of  the  invention 
of  iron-clads,  and  he  looked  forward  to  the  time  when,  in  his 
Benton  or  Eastport^  or  some  still  more  formidable  floating 
battery,  he  could  compete  with  the  highest  military  engineer 
ing  on  shore,  and  the  most  scientific  form  of  heavy  ordnance 
afloat.  His  Mississippi  gun-boats  for  the  time,  and  in  an  ag 
gressive  sense,  were  even  better  than  Ericsson's  "  monitors"  for 
their  purpose,  though  they  were  not  invulnerable,  as,  in  fact, 
in  the  progress  of  science,  nothing  is  or  can  be. 

To  turn  to  another  subject,  a  naval  friend  from  the  Boston 
Navy  Yard  brings  out  amusingly  in  his  letter  a  prominent 
trait  of  the  admiral's  character.  He  says : 

"  Do  you  remember  when  you  called  at  my  quarters  with  a  flattering 
invitation  to  accompany  you  to  Chelsea  to  deliver  a  lecture  on  China  ? 
You  had  a  cold  and  a  sore  throat,  and  wanted  me  in  case  you  broke  clown 

to  take  your  place  with  my  '  Jerusalem '  lecture.    Mrs.  M wished  to 

know  how  it  went.  '  Did  Mr.  Foote  or  you  lecture  ?' — '  Why,  Mr.  Foote, 
of  course.  He  didn't  break  down,  nor  did  he  mean  to  do  so.  Do  you 
think  he  intended  that  I  should  take  the  wind  out  of  his  sails  ?' — So 
when  you  were  before  Island  No.  Ten,  and  all  was  excitement  and  anxiety, 
I  said  (remembering  old  times), '  Foote  will  have  No.  Ten.  He  never  gives 
up  a  job  or  an  argument  to  any  body.'  When  Island  No.  Ten  was  ours, 
all  was  rejoicing  and  exultant,  and  a  great  burden  of  apprehension  was 
removed  from  the  public  mind;  but  with  me  it  was  a  foregone  conclu 
sion,  and  I  took  it  very  philosophically." 

This  self-reliance  and  persistency  of  character  which  led 
him  to  do  things  for  himself,  and  take  the  lead  in  all  that  fell 
to  his  hand,  though  brought  out  jestingly  in  the  foregoing  ex 
tract,  had  by  this  time  made  itself  pretty  generally  known 
both  to  th.e  government  and  the  people.  The  war  had  wit 
nessed  some  lamentable  failures  in  its  leaders  and  great  men ; 
and  although  most  important  successes  had  crowned  the  North- 


The  Right  Man  Wanted.  371 

era  arms,  yet  the  first  months  and  the  spring  of  the  year  1863 
did  not  open  brightly  for  the  cause  of  the  republic.  At  the  close 
of  1862,  the  battle  of  Murfreesboro,  while  ending  in  victory, 
crippled  the  victors  almost  as  much  as  the  vanquished;  and 
although  the  new  year  began  auspiciously  with  the  Emanci 
pation  Act,  which  sent  fresh  hope  through  the  land,  and  al 
though  there  were  seven  hundred  thousand  loyal  men  in  the 
field,  the  actual  successes  in  a  military  point  of  view  were 
few  and  far  between.  The  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  dis 
couraged  and  disappointed;  the  dreadful  battle  of  Chancel- 
lorsville,  fought  under  Hooker  in  the  spring,  ended  in  signal 
defeat  and  rout ;  and  Lee,  great  general,  though  in  a  bad  cause, 
was  gathering  together  his  legions,  and  already  meditating  that 
bold  invasion  of  the  North  which  was  carried  out  some  months 
later.  Richmond  seemed  as  far  off  as  ever,  while  the  interfer 
ence  of  foreign  powers  was,  in  the  view  of  the  least  timid,  in 
evitable.  At  the  South  and  West,  Banks  was  operating  in 
Louisiana  and  its  neighborhood  with  more  enterprise  than  suc 
cess  ;  the  Mississippi  was  still  closed  up  between  Fort  Hudson 
and  Vicksburg ;  and  Vicksburg,  proud  and  defiant,  baffled  the 
most  strenuous  efforts  of  onr  land  and  naval  forces.  Above 
all,  Charleston,  the  fount  and  heart  of  the  great  rebellion,  lay 
safe  behind  her  ring  of  mighty  bulwarks,,  with  Sumter  grimly 
guarding  the  harbor's  mouth.  Dupont  in  the  early  part  of 
April  had  tried  his  strength  against  the  Charleston  defenses, 
and  after  a  most  intrepid  fight  with  his  monitors  and  iron 
sides,  had  drawn  off  completely  cut  up,  and  bitterly  declaring 
that  the  thing,  at  least  in  that  way  of  doing  it,  was  impossible. 
The  government  and  the  people,  however,  whether  Dupont 
were  right  or  wrong,  did  not  agree  with  him :  nothing  was 
impossible  to  Northern  hearts ;  and  the  cry  went  forth,  Who 
will  come  to  the  rescue  ? — who  will  lead  the  forlorn  hope  of  the 
land  ?  The  right  man  was  all  that  was  asked  for.  The  true 
instinct  of  the  government  and  country  pointed  to  but  one 

man,  and  that  man  was — Andrew  Hull  Foote. 

' 


372  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

His  indomitable  character  was  then  called  to  mind,  and  in 
spite  of  his  physical  feebleness  and  unfit  condition,  both  of 
body  and  mind,  he  must  go.  It  seemed,  and  thousands  will 
bear  us  out  in  this  statement,  that  at  that  moment  the  fate  of 
the  whole  republic  hung  upon  him.  He,  too,  wished  to  go. 
As  early  as  April  he  sent  his  family  home  to  New  Haven, 
coming  himself  with  them  as  far  as  New  York,  and  then  re 
turning  to  Washington.  As  he  wrote  in  a  private  letter  which 
has  been  quoted, "  I  want  as  soon  as  possible  to  be  afloat  again, 
and  there  remain  till  we,  under  God,  crush  this  atrocious  re 
bellion." 

On  the  4th  of  June,  1863,  he  was  detached  from  his  position 
as  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Equipment  and  Recruiting,  and  ap 
pointed  to  take  Admiral  Dupont's  place  as  commander  of  the 
South  Atlantic  blockading  squadron. 

One  of  the  leading  newspapers,  commenting  upon  this  ap 
pointment,  said: 

"  Admiral  Foote  is  a  progressive  man.  He  has  inventive  capacity  suf 
ficient  at  once  to  estimate  the  value  of  new  and  untried  appliances.  He 
is  therefore  eminently  qualified  for  the  position  of  commander  of  the 
South  Atlantic  blockading  squadron,  and  we  trust  he  will  put  his  for 
midable  fleet  of  monitors  to  some  immediate  and  practical  use." 

Another  journal  remarked : 

"  He  is  believed  to  be  the  very  man  to  show  the  full  capabilities  of  the 
monitors  and  iron-clads  in  opposition  to  fortifications." 

Admiral  Gregory  wrote  to  him : 

"  I  shall  be  one  of  the  first  to  hail  your  return ;  your  daring  will  be  the 
best  prudence;  and  I  shall  ever  be  proud  of  the  recollection  that  forty 
years  ago  the  little  boy  first  dipped  his  paddle  into  the  great  sea  under 
my  care." 

After  making  his  final  preparations  in  Washington,  he 
came  to  New  Haven  to  take  leave  of  his  family  before  re- 


Physical  Prostration.  373 

pairing  to  his  new  post.  He  evidently  did  not  believe  that 
he  should  see  his  family  again  in  this  life.  Captain  Simpson, 
one  of  his  dearest  friends,  who  knew  him  best,  declared  that 
"  he  would  take  Fort  Sumter  or  go  to  the  bottom."  He  ex 
pected  either  to  die  in  battle  or  from  the  effects  of  coast  ma 
laria  acting  upon  his  enfeebled  frame..  It  had  been  a  com 
mon  saying  with  him, "  I  can't  join  in  the  prayer,  Deliver  us 
from  sudden  death;"  and  he  made  the  sacrifice  cheerfully. 
The  brief  time  he  was  in  New  Haven  he  was  in  good  spirits  and 
full  of  hope,  though  so  weak  that  the  signing  of  his  name  for 
autographs  for  a  Ladies'  Fair  for  sick  soldiers  almost  overcame 
him.  He  was  once,  in  fact,  near  falling  in  the  street  from  a 
sudden  turn  of  nervous  prostration,  and  was  only  rallied  by 
strong  restoratives.  He  would  sometimes  sink  into  his  chair 
with  an  air  of  complete  lassitude,  and  exclaim,  with  his  hands 
pressed  to  his  head,  "  Rest — oh,  for  rest ! "  It  seems  now,  in 
looking  back  upon  it,  extraordinary  that  the  government,  or 
at  least  his  own  friends,  should  not  have  seen  how  very  ill  a 
man  he  was,  and  that  such  a  burden  laid  upon  so  exhausted  a 
frame  would  be  fatal.  But  it  was  his  spirit  that  deceived  his 
friends  and  led  them  to  a  delusive  hope.  His  unconquerable 
mind  made  all  others  and  himself  believe  that  all  things  were 
possible.  The  following  letter,  which  came  to  him  in  New 
Haven,  indicates  somewhat  of  the  plans  that  were  discussed 
between  the  government  and  himself  in  regard  to  the  Southern 

coast : 

"  WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  June  12, 1863. 

"  DEAR  ADMIRAL, — I  have  your  note  of  the  10th  inst.  The  matter  of 
an  attack  upon  Wilmington  has  been  up  for  the  last  six  months,  and  Lee 
has  been  in  constant  communication  with  the  Department,  sometimes  per 
sonally,  upon  the  subject.  The  monitors  can  not  get  into  Wilmington, 
and  the  army  can  not  co-operate  at  present.  Fort  Caswell  is  surrounded 
by  a  glacis,  instead  of  being  exposed  to  fire  like  Sumter.  Lee  has  full  in 
formation  about  that  fort  and  the  defenses,  and  has  discussed  the  matter 
with  General  Totten.  If  three  or  four  monitors  could  have  effected  any 


374  Ltfe  of  Admiral  Foote. 

thing  alone,  we  should  have  been  in  long  ago.  It  must  be  a  joint  affair, 
and  there  is  no  army  now  except  at  Port  Royal.  The  Tuscarora  sailed 
yesterday  for  New  York.  Truly  yours,  G.  V.  Fox." 

Port  Royal  was  Foote's  objective  point,  where  lie  was  to  join 
the  squadron  and  co-operate  with  the  land  forces  upon  Charles 
ton.  While  waiting  in  New  Haven  for  orders,  he  received  a 
sudden  summons  to  embark  at  once  in  the  Tuscarora  from 
New  York.  He  left  New  Haven  quite  early  in  the  morning, 
his  family — some  of  them — seeing  him  then  for  the  last  time 
in  life,  as  he  turned  in  the  carriage  and  made  them  his  parting 
adieux.  When  he  arrived  in  New  York,  he  found  that  the 
Tuscarora,  by  some  emergency,  with  a  number  of  other  ves 
sels,  had  been  ordered  off  a  few  hours  before.  He  went  at 
once  to  the  Astor  House,  and  telegraphed  to  his  family  that 
his  sailing  was  delayed  for  two  or  three  days.  In  company 
with  Admiral  Gregory,  he  inspected  monitors  that  were  being 
constructed ;  and  when  at  the  hotel  attended  to  numerous  vis 
itors.  After  incessant  occupation  all  day,  he  started  at  night 
for  Washington,  transacted  business  in  that  place  all  the  fol 
lowing  day,  and  returned  to  New  York  the  same  night.  The 
next  day  he  was  kept  in  a  round  of  excitement,  and  that  night 
was  taken  with  the  first  painful  symptoms  of  his  disease.  In 
the  morning  he  felt  better,  but  a  return  of  pain  made  it  neces 
sary  to  depart  from  simple  remedies  and  to  send  for  physicians. 
Shortly  after,  there  was  a  consultation  of  physicians,  and  it  was 
decided  that  the  case  was  one  of  Bright's  disease  of  the  kid 
neys,  which  had  been  aggravated  by  his  harassed  life  at  the 
West,  his  wound,  and  especially  his  exertions  and  anxieties  for 
the  last  few  days.  Upon  the  16th  came  the  following : 

"  NAVY  YARD,  NEW  YORK,  June  16, 1863. 

"ADMIRAL, — I  am  authorized  by  the  Department  to  charter  a  steamer 
to  take  you  and  your  suite  to  Port  Royal.  The  Union  will  sail  for  that 
destination  on  the  18th,  and  I  think  you  might  find  her  preferable  to  a 
chartered  steamer. 


Fatal  Illness.  375 


"  Be  pleased  to  inform  me  which  you  prefer.  I  shall  be  most  happy  to 
second  your  wishes  in  any  manner  you  shall  name.  My  constant  occupa 
tion  here  has  prevented  my  calling  to  see  you.  Should  you  determine  to 
go  in  the  Union,  it  is  desirable  that  the  captain  should  be  informed  as  to 
what  number  of  officers  you  take,  and  what  preparation  you  wish  made. 
"  I  am,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  H.  PAULDING,  Commandant." 

But  by  this  time  he  was  too  ill  for  such  matters.  On  the 
18th  and  19th  he  had  rallied  somewhat,  awakening  some  hopes 
of  his  restoration ;  but  he  soon  fell  back,  and  he  himself  de 
liberately  gave  up  all  expectation  of  recovery.  His  wife,  his 
daughter,  his  brother  Augustus,  with  other  members  of  his 
family  and  some  of  his  naval  friends,  had  now  joined  him,  and 
with  them  he  talked  freely,  and  told  them — as  if  the  order  to 
"  cast  off  moorings  "  had  been  sent  to  him  from  a  higher  au 
thority — "My  disease  is  fatal  ;.but  I  am  prepared  to  meet  death 
in  this  way,  if  God  has  so  ordered  it."  Indeed,  as  his  pastor, 
Dr.  Budington,  who  was  also  present,  writes  :  "  It  seemed  as  if 
the  admiral,  as  usual,  was  the  chief  actor,  discharging  some 
difficult  duty,  and  keeping  all  about  him  employed  under  his 
direction ;  but  the  work  he  had  now  in  hand  was  to  die,  and 
this  he  went  about  as  patiently  and  earnestly  as  he  had  ever 
cleared  the  decks  for  action.  His  life,  the  mainspring  of 
which  was  a  constant  activity  in  the  service  of  God  and  coun 
try,  was  closing  in  the  energetic  performance  of  his  last  com 
mission — to  die." 

He  said  to  his  brother,  when  he  first  came  into  the  room, 
"  I'm  glad  to  have  one  of  my  brothers  with  me ;"  and  then, 
his  face  brightening  up  with  almost  a  gleam  of  humor,  he  add 
ed,  "  I  always  told  you  I  should  go  before  you  and  John,  and 
you  see  now  I  was  right."  His  brother  replied, "  That  is  not 
so  certain  by  any  means."  He  rejoined, "  You  are  certainly 
mistaken — I  know  I  am  right,  and  you  will  see."  His  brother 
remarked,  pleasantly,  "You  are  the  same  that  you  always  were, 


376  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

and  you  never  will  yield  your  point."  The  admiral  then  went 
on  to  say :  "  I  wanted  to  go  to  Charleston  and  help  the  govern 
ment  all  I  could,  but  it  is  just  as  well.  It  is  only  a  question 
of  killing  more  men.  I  am  perfectly  resigned  to  the  will  of 
God." 

He  was  extremely  anxious  that  the  government  should  know 
the  cause  of  his  delay ;  and  when  he  understood  that  an  officer 
had  returned  from  Washington  with  kind  messages  from  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  he  seemed  much  relieved.  He  was  also 
anxious  that  Admiral  Dupont  should  be  informed  that  it  was 
no  effort  or  intrigue  on  his  part  that  had  effected  the  change 
in  the  command  of  the  squadron.  After  he  was  satisfied  on 
these  points,  he  quieted  himself  like  a  child,  and  appeared  in  a 
great  measure  to  put  away  from  his  mind  worldly  things.  He 
suffered  severe  pain  from  the  rapid  progress  of  his  disease, 
which  was  a  complicated  affection  of  the  liver  and  kidneys, 
that  had  been  aggravated  by  his  wound  and  his  constant  bur 
den  of  mental  anxiety ;  but  he  endured  his  pains  with  such 
unmurmuring  patience  as  to  draw  praise  from  his  attendants. 
He  said  once, "  If  'twas  God's  will,  I  should  like  to  have  a  lit 
tle  quiet  and  sleep." 

The  simple  affectionateness  and  loving  qualities  of  his  warm 
sailor  nature  came  out  in  all  his  words  and  looks.  He  greeted 
those  who  approached  his  bedside  with  a  smile ;  and  when  his 
daughter,  Mrs.  Reese,  was  announced,  he  called  her  his  dear 
child,  and  put  his  arms  around  her  neck  and  kissed  her. 

He  gave  his  last  directions  concerning  his  family  and  his 
affairs  with  entire  clearness,  and  as  apparently  free  from  all 
excitement  as  if  he  were  going  upon  a  short  journey. 

Captain  Sanford,  his  old  ordnance -officer  in  the  "Western 
flotilla,  and  Captain  Simpson  were  with  him  constantly,  and 
from  them  and  other  brother-officers  of  the  Navy,  he  received 
the  most  tender  and  unwearied  attention.  Captain  Simpson 
writes  :  "  His  sufferings  were  so  great  that  there  were  but  few 


Last  Scenes.  377 


opportunities  permitted  him  of  saying  words  that  could  be 
stored  up  by  his  friends.  His  door  was  besieged  by  callers, 
but  all  were  denied  except  a  few  family  relatives.  I  told  him 
of  the  frequent  callers,  but  he  said  he  could  not  see  them — it 
was  too  much  effort  to  speak.  One  day  I  told  him  that  an  of 
ficer,  who  had  fought  gallantly  under  him  at  the  West,  had 
asked  to  see  him.  He  thought  for  a  minute,  and  then  said, 
<  Who  knows  what  a  dying  man's  word  may  do — I  will  see 
him.'  The  officer  came  to  his  bed,  and  Foote  spoke  to  him. 
I  know  not  what  he  said,  but  I  saw  the  man's  frame  convulsed 
with  emotion,  and  as  he  laid  down  Foote's  hand  he  burst  into 
tears.  At  one  time  I  was  doing  something  for  him,  when  he 
looked  at  me  and  said, '  Well,  and  what  will  you  do  ?'  I  re 
plied,  ( I  will  try  and  follow  you.'  He  put  his  arm  around 
my  neck  and  kissed  me.  I  shall  never  forget  that  kiss.  I 
spoke  to  him  of  his  work  on  board  the  old  Portsmouth,  and 
he  rejoined  that  it  was  little  he  had  done.  He  dwelt  on  the 
worthlessness  of  worldly  reputation,  and  said  that  such  deeds 
as  the  world  gave  him  credit  for  he  valued  now  as  nothing ; 
and  charged  me  that  nothing  would  give  peace  at  last  but  the 
consciousness  of  having  resisted  evil.  All  thought  of  worldly 
vanity,  praise  of  men,  and  renown  had  disappeared  from  his 
mind." 

He  at  length  became  more  disturbed,  and  his  speech  at 
times  grew  incoherent ;  but  he  was  rational  at  intervals.  In 
one  of  these  calm  moments  he  said, "  I  thank  God  for  all  his 
goodness  to  me — for  all  his  loving  kindness  to  me."  He  also 
said  to  a  relative  in  the  earlier  stages  of  his  illness, "  God  is 
dealing  gently  with  me.  He  may  bring  dark  hours ;  but  thus 
far  it  grows  brighter  and  brighter  with  me."  He  continued 
in  this  way,  wavering  between  life  and  death — now  growing 
stronger,  and  then  sinking  away  again,  like  the  ebb  and  flow 
of  the  tide — for  some  days. 

His  faithful  colored  man,  Brooks,  toward  whom  he  had  ever 


37$  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

manifested  great  esteem  and  kindness,  testifies  to  his  saying, 
with  much  earnestness,  on  the  night  of  June  20,  "  We  will 
have  them,  North  and  South" — repeating  this  several  times. 
Brooks  asked  him  what  he  meant  by  this.  He  replied,  "  The 
colored  people.  Yes,  we  will  have  them ;"  and  he  then  added, 
"  We  must  have  charity — charity — charity." 

For  thirty-six  hours  immediately  previous  to  his  death  he 
was  probably  wholly  unconscious,  and  he  gently  expired  at  a 
quarter  past  ten  o'clock  on  Friday  night,  the  26th  day  of  June, 
1863,  at  the  comparatively  early  age  of  fifty-six. 

Surgeon  Bache,  of  the  Navy,  observed  with  emphasis  to  Ad 
miral  Foote's  brother,  as  they  were  standing  together  in  the 
chamber  of  death,  "Your  brother  has  literally  worn  himself 
out  in  the  public  service.  He  is  as  truly  a  victim  of  this  war 
as  if  he  had  perished  on  the  battle-field." 

But  now  no  more  of  wearing  toil,  anxiety,  and  care,  of  the 
uproar  and  confusion  of  battle,  of  the  terrible  mission  of  war 
and  blood — he  had  at  last  found  rest.  The  God  whom  he  loved 
and  served  so  well — who  is  the  God  of  peace  as  well  as  the 
God  of  battles — had  given  his  beloved  sleep. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

HONORS    TO    THE    MEMORY    OF   ADMIRAL    FOOTE. FUNERAL    OBSE 
QUIES. 

THROUGHOUT  the  land  the  illness  of  the  generous,  self-sacri 
ficing  sailor  in  New  York,  arrested  as  he  was  by  a  higher  hand 
while  on  the  point  of  throwing  himself  into  a  new  and  des 
perate  service,  excited  unbounded  sympathy.  His  death  was 
a  shock  to  the  nation.  In  fact,  his  death  at  that  time  was  the 
death  of  the  greatest  man  who  had  yet  fallen.  The  news 
papers — even  in  that  hurried  period  when  important  events 
were  taking  place  and  nothing  held  the  public  mind  long — 
were  filled  with  elaborate  notices  and  eulogies  of  the  departed 
hero.  This  official  order  of  the  Naval  Department  was  pub 
lished  on  the  day  succeeding  his  death  : 

"WASHINGTON,  June  27. 
"  GENERAL  ORDER  No.  16. 

"  A  gallant  and  distinguished  naval  officer  is  lost  to  the  country.  The 
hero  of  Fort  Henry  and  Fort  Donelson,  the  indomitable  spirit  that  cre 
ated  and  led  to  successive  victories  the  Mississippi  flotilla — the  hero  and 
Christian  sailor  who,  in  the  China  seas  and  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  as  well 
as  the  great  interior  rivers  of  our  country,  sustained  with  unfaltering  fidel 
ity  and  devotion  the  honor  of  our  flag  and  the  cause  of  the  Union,  Kear- 
Admiral  Andrew  Hull  Foote,  is  no  more.  On  his  way  to  take  command 
of  the  South  Atlantic  Blockading  Squadron — a  position  to  which  he  had 
been  recently  assigned,  and  the  duties  of  which  were  commanding  the 
earnest  energies  and  vigorous  resources  of  a  mind  of  no  ordinary  char 
acter — he  was  suddenly  prostrated  by  disease,  and  breathed  his  last  at 
the  Astor  House  in  New  York  on  the  26th  instant. 

"  Among  the  noble  and  honored  dead  whose  names  have  added  lustre 
to  our  naval  renown,  and  must  ever  adorn  our  national  annals,  few  will 
stand  more  pre-eminent  than  that  of  the  gallant  and  self-sacrificing  Chris- 


380  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

tian  sailor  and  gentleman  whose  loss  we  now  deplore.  Appreciating  his 
virtues  and  his  services,  a  grateful  country  has  rendered  him  while  living 
its  willing  honors,  and  will  mourn  his  death. 

"  As  a  mark  of  respect,  it  is  hereby  ordered  that  the  flags  at  the  several 
navy  yards,  naval  stations,  and  on  the  flag-ships  of  squadrons,  be  hoisted 
at  half-mast ;  and  that  thirteen  guns  be  fired  at  meridian  on  the  day  after 
the  receipt  of  this  order.  GIDEON  WELLES,  Secretary  of  the  Navy." 

To  show  how  events  marched  on  in  that  time,  and  how 
sternly  in  earnest  was  the  government,  it  should  here  be  men 
tioned,  and  also  as  completing  the  official  naval  biography  of 
Rear-Admiral  Foote,  that  on  the  day  before  his  death,  the 
25th,  he  was  detached  on  account  of  sickness  from  his  com 
mand  of  the  South  Atlantic  squadron,  and  Rear-Admiral  Dahl- 
gren  was  appointed  to  fill  his  place. 

On  Saturday  afternoon,  the  day  succeeding  the  death,  the 
vestibule  and  parlors  of  the  Astor  House  were  thronged  by  a 
concourse  of  people,  among  whom  were  many  distinguished 
men  of  the  nation  and  intimate  friends  of  the  deceased.  Vis 
itors  poured  into  the  room  of  death  for  two  hours,  and  passed 
out  with  thoughtful  and  saddened  faces.  As  the  hour  ap 
proached  for  the  transportation  of  the  remains  to  New  Haven, 
a  large  crowd  assembled  in  front  of  the  hotel  to  witness  the 
scene.  Two  companies  of  marines,  detached  from  the  receiv 
ing-ship  NoTth  Carolina,  arrived  from  the  Navy  Yard,  and  a 
great  many  citizens  also  joined  the  escort.  Just  before  the 
body  was  removed,  a  lady  stepped  forward  and  laid  a  cross  of 
white  flowers  and  immortelles  upon  the  coffin-lid.  With  dirge- 
like  music  the  train  moved  on,  the  bearers  who  accompanied 
the  body  to  the  boat  being  Admiral  Storer,  Admiral  String- 
ham,  Captain  Sands,  Captain  Drayton,  Captain  Mead,  Captain 
Leslie,  Captain  Eagle,  and  Dr.  Truslow.  On  the  same  day 
civic  honors  were  paid  by  the  city  of  New  York,  and  resolu 
tions  were  passed  by  the  municipal  government  to  the  memory 
of  the  departed  hero. 


Funeral  Obsequies.  381 

In  New  Haven  the  remains  of  Admiral  Foote  lay  at  his 
home  until  Tuesday,  the  day  of  the  funeral,  when  they  were  de 
posited  for  a  while  in  the  rotunda  of  the  State  House.  There 
they  were  viewed  by  thousands,  and  it  was  remarked  that  the 
face,  while  it  was  more  worn  and  thin  than  in  life,  had  a  nat 
ural  look,  though  with  a  singular  expression  of  majesty. 

Earely  has  there  been  in  this  land  a  more  impressive  funeral 
scene  than  was  witnessed  on  Tuesday,  June  30th,  in  the  beau 
tiful  city  of  New  Haven.  The  day  was  a  calm  and  bright 
June  day ;  the  stately  elms  of  the  city  were  in  their  first  luxu 
riance  of  foliage ;  flags  drooped  from  all  the  public  buildings 
and  many  of  the  private  residences ;  business  was  suspended ; 
and  the  entire  city  and  the  neighboring  towns,  and  it  might 
be  said  the  whole  state,  flowed  in  toward  the  place  where  the 
last  honors  and  religious  rites  were  paid  to  him  whom  all 
mourned.  Although  all  felt  his  loss  profoundly  at  this  crit 
ical  hour  of  the  country's  history,  yet  his  life  had  been  so  pure 
and  his  task  so  well  done — nothing  to  human  eye  imperfect 
or  wanting  in  that  life  of  obedience  to  duty  and  of  loyal  self- 
sacrifice — that  it  was  impossible  to  grieve  or  to  be  sorrowful 
overmuch ;  therefore  a  sober  cheerfulness  pervaded  the  scene, 
and  men's  burdened  hearts  were  purified  by  this  grand  exam 
ple  of  a  true  life  brought  before  them,  and  were  lifted  above 
their  personal  sadness  into  a  kind  of  calm  joy.  The  human 
soul,  even  the  most  selfish,  is  so  formed  that  it  takes  pleasure 
in  goodness,  and  pays  unconscious  tribute  to  true  worth — that 
worth,  above  all,  which  has  in  it  the  elements  of  love  and 
sacrifice  for  others.  At  the  religious  services  in  the  Center 
Church,  an  address  was  made  by  Dr.  Leonard  Bacon,  which, 
after  recounting  the  incidents  of  the  good  admiral's  career, 
closed  thus : 

"  Where  or  how  he  was  to  die  he  had  cared  but  little ;  he  had  thought 
much  of  the  privilege  of  dying  among  his  friends,  though  he  had  ex 
pected  to  meet  his  end  in  the  din  of  battle.  Around  his  bedside,  strong 


382  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

and  warlike  men,  who  had  been  and  soon  will  be  again  in  the  crash  of 
battle,  were  assembled  in  tenderness  and  sympathy.  His  last  words  were 
but  few.  Once  he  said :  'God  is  dealing  kindly  with  me ;  he  has  brought 
me  through  dark  hours,  but  thus  far  it  grows  brighter.'  Again  he  ex 
pressed  a  wish  that  his  life  might  be  blessed  to  the  conversion  of  many 
in  the  Navy ;  *  but  not  only  in  the  Navy,'  he  added, '  but  to  all.'  To  an 
officer  who  said  to  him, '  You  must  not  leave  us ;  your  place  can  not  be 
supplied,'  he  replied :  '  God  will  supply  a  better  one.'  His  last  words 
were :  '  I  thank  God  for  all  his  goodness  to  me — for  all  his  loving  kind 
ness  to  me ;  he  has  been  very  good  to  me ;  I  thank  him  for  his  kind 
ness.'  We  are  all  here  as  mourners ;  yet  this  is  only  a  representation  of 
the  Government  and  Navy,  which  together  mourn  the  loss  of  our  naval 
Hercules.  The  nation  is  the  chief  mourner  of  all.  Shall  we  not,  in  its 
name,  bless  God  for  such  an  example — such  a  stimulus  to  thousands  of 
hearts  yet  to  be — in  the  love  of  country,  man,  and  God  ?'' 

The  procession  which  followed  the  body  to  its  last  resting- 
place  was  a  host  for  multitude,  and  was  composed  of  large 
bodies  of  state  military,  of  two  companies  of  marines,  and  a 
detachment  of  midshipmen  from  Brooklyn,  of  the  civil  au 
thorities  of  the  principal  cities  of  Connecticut,  of  the  faculty 
and  students  of  the  University,  and  a  great  number  of  citizens. 
Four  admirals  acted  as  pall-bearers — Gregory,  Smith,  Storer, 
and  Davis  —  accompanied  by  Captain  Glynn,  Commander 
Simpson,  Lieutenant  Marven,  and  Ensign  McGregor.  Admi 
rals  Smith  and  Davis — both  his  life-long  and  tried  friends, 
and  the  last  his  trusted  successor  in  the  command  of  the 
Western  flotilla — were  specially  deputed  by  the  government 
to  attend  the  funeral ;  and  the  officer  under  whom  he  made 
his  first  voyage,  and  who  now  went  with  him  on  his  last  brief 
journey — Admiral  Gregory  —  was  there.  The  bowed  heads 
and  sorrowful  faces  of  these  war-worn  veterans  showed  that 
they  felt  his  loss  deeply.  His  faithful  colored  man,  Brooks, 
walked  behind  the  hearse  carrying  his  sword. 

Under  the  shadows  of  the  overarching  elms  and  through  the 
calm  sunshine,  silently,  except  when  the  stillness  was  broken 


Funeral  Obsequies.  383 

at  intervals  by  the  firing  of  artillery  and  the  tolling  of  bells, 
the  long  procession  moved  slowly  on  to  the  old  cemetery ;  and, 
after  the  brief  and  solemn  Episcopal  service  had  been  read  at 
the  grave,  the  body  was  laid  down  in  the  ground  where  slept 
the  dust  of  many  great  and  good  men,  and  some  of  more  recent 
fame,  who  were  the  first  martyrs  of  the  war  for  the  Union, 
among  whom  was  the  brilliant  young  Theodore  Winthrop — but 
none  nobler  and  truer  than  he  who  had  now  come  to  ask  a 
place  to  rest  beside  them. 

Co 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

CONCLUDING    WORDS    AND    LETTERS    OF    FRIENDS. 

IT  would  seem  superfluous  to  add  aught  to  the  simple  rec 
ord  that  has  gone  before — certainly  not  in  the  way  of  bestow 
ing  praise;  for  it  has  been  a  constant  embarrassment  to  re 
press  the  uniform  flow  of  eulogistic  remark  that  has  permeated 
these  pages,  because  it  has  pervaded  almost  every  letter,  docu 
ment,  and  public  notice  that  has  fallen  into  our  hands.  We 
are  conscious,  too,  of  the  American  fault  of  exaggeration ;  and 
it  must  be  confessed  that  were  the  subject  Washington  himself, 
hardly  nothing  more  could  be  said  in  the  way  of  encomium 
than  has  been  said  by  this  one  and  that  one  of  the  subject  of 
this  memoir.  Much  doubtless  has  been  said  indiscriminately, 
and  of  the  nature  of  mere  rhetoric ;  but  yet,  when  all  this  is 
deducted,  there  remains  a  residuum  of  pure  gold. 

Admiral  Foote,  if  not  a  great  man  when  judged  by  the 
highest  intellectual  standards — and  how  few  there  are  that 
are  truly  great  in  every  sense  of  that  word ! — surpassed  com 
mon  men  in  some  things.  He  surpassed  them  in  moral  force. 
The  central  element  of  his  character  was  this — an  immutable 
resolution,  under  a  religious  sense  of  duty,  to  pursue  the  right. 
The  principles  he  had  deliberately  chosen  he  carried  to  sea 
with  him  and  into  public  life,  and  into  his  intercourse  with 
men  every  where  and  under  all  circumstances.  He  was  an 
ardent  believer  in  the  Christian  faith  and  a  believer  in  prayer 
— these  had  been  wrought  into  his  spirit  in  his  youth,  and  he 
sailed  under  that  flag  to  the  day  of  his  death.  He  wrote  to 
his  wife  after  the  capture  of  Fort  Henry  that  "  he  had  ago 
nized  in  prayer  for  victory."  Another  man  might  have  won 


Mental  and  Moral  Qualities.  385 

the  battle,  and  not  have  prayed  for  it;  but  he  did,  and  he 
recognized  the  hand  of  God  in  the  victory  that  was  gained. 
Some  may  doubt  whether  this  had  any  thing  to  do  with  his 
military  efficiency ;  but  none  can  doubt  that  he  acted  on 
those  principles,  and  that  they  formed  the  deepest  spring  of 
his  vigor. 

He  may  be  thought  to  have  been  too  radical  in  his  ideas  of 
reform.  Some  of  his  naval  friends  held  this  opinion,  and  did 
not  scruple  to  tell  him  so.  Indeed,  in  his  early  professional 
career,  he  often  endured  contempt  and  persecution  on  this  ac 
count  ;  but  all  who  knew  him  learned  to  respect  him,  because 
he  was  in  earnest.  He  was  one  of  the  instances  in  history 
of  "  the  saints  who  are  in  Csesar's  household,"  or  men  true 
to  their  convictions  of  duty  in  circumstances  of  peculiar  dif 
ficulty  and  temptation.  He  believed  in  total  abstinence  as 
the  sheet-anchor  of  sailor  character;  therefore  at  the  East 
and  West  he  fought  out  his  temperance  principles,  till  at  last 
— by  his  speeches,  letters,  and,  above  all,  personal  example — 
he  carried  through  the  temperance  reform  in  the  Navy,  and 
abolished  spirit-rations.  His  own  crews  were  noted  for  their 
sobriety  and  good  conduct,  not  only  on  shipboard,  but  when 
they  were  ashore,  at  home  or  in  foreign  ports.  So  it  was 
with  the  observance  of  Sunday,  the  prohibition  of  profanity, 
and  many  other  things  that  he  had  made  up  his  mind  about 
as  being  right — and  because  he  believed  them  to  be  right, 
without  much  consultation  with  others,  as  far  as  his  authority 
extended,  he  put  them  in  practice.  If  reasoning  would  not 
do,  he  did  it  by  command.  He  held  to  a  principle  to  the  last 
breath.  Some  of  the  latest  acts  of  his  life,  during  the  short 
period  that  he  was  at  the  head  of  the  Bureau  of  Equipment 
and  Eecruiting,  had  reference  to  the  question  of  temperance 
reform  on  board  government  vessels.  The  venerable  Admi 
ral  Smith  writes:  " Hear- Admiral  Foote's  character  is  well 
known  in  the  Navy.  One  of  the  strongest  traits  of  his  char- 


386  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

acter  was  great  persistence  in  any  thing  he  undertook.  He 
was  a  man  who  could  neither  be  shaken  off  nor  choked  off 
from  what  he  attempted  to  carry  out.  He  was  truly  a  pious 
man,  severely  an  honest  man,  and  a  philanthropist  of  the  first 
order.  He  was  one  of  our  foremost  Navy  officers — none  be 
fore  him."*  There  are  hosts  of  good  men ;  but  of  those  who 
stand  by  their  colors  as  an  enthusiasm  and  a  life,  and  who  ad 
vance  them  into  the  enemy's  line,  who  make  conquests  in  the 
realm  of  evil — of  such  there  are  few.  Admiral  Foote  was,  as 
his  old  friend  said  of  him,  a  true  philanthropist.  His  wish 
seemed  to  be — his  wisdom  may  not  always  have  been  com 
mensurate  with  his  zeal — but  his  earnest  desire  seemed  to  be 
to  raise  the  character  and  condition  of  men  about  him,  of 
sailors,  of  his  fellow-officers,  of  all  with  whom  he  had  any 
influence.  His  mental  traits,  if  not  extraordinary,  were  not 
commonplace.  He  had  a  strong,  clear  head.  His  mind  was 
practical ;  but  it  had  some  finer  grains  that  showed  him  capa 
ble  of  a  highly  scientific  and  even  literary  culture,  had  his 
career  been  one  of  books,  and  not  of  arms.  He  derived  his 
ideas  from  men  rather  than  books,  and  if  he  did  not  think 
profoundly,  he  was  by  no  means  wanting  in  sound  ideas.  His 
perceptive  faculties  were  uncommonly  acute,  and  his  powers 
of  invention  and  organization  were  by  no  means  contemptible. 
If  he  did  not  possess  genius,  he  had  that  vivific  or  energic 
quality  of  mind  that,  having  clearly  seized  a  point,  drove  to 
ward  it  with  power,  and  carried  it  by  immense  strength  of 
will. 

He  was  not  a  dry-hearted  egotist,  either  as  a  Christian  or  an 
officer.  He  was  open,  cordial,  and  confiding.  He  was  ex 
traordinarily  social  in  temperament.  When  he  was  in  good 
health  and  spirits,  wherever  he  was,  there  was  hearty  life  and 
hilariousness.  He  was  not,  perhaps,  a  man  of  real  humor, 

*  Private  letter  to  author,  dated  August  13.  1872. 


Social  Characteristics.  387 

but  he  was  noted  for  telling  a  good  story,  appreciating  a  good 
jest,  and  enjoying  a  good  laugh ;  and,  until  borne  down  by 
the  burden  of  care,  he  was  the  best  company  in  the  world, 
and  to  the  day  of  his  death  his  boyish  and  fun-loving  spirit 
flashed  out.  A  genial  temper,  thoroughly  kind,  though  not 
without  a  sprinkle  of  the  salt  of  rough  ocean,  made  this  hero 
of  iron-clads  a  delightful  man  in  society.  The  little  that  he 
was  permitted  to  have  of  this  kind  of  life  on  shore  he  was 
thoroughly  happy  in ;  and  when  with  his  own  family  and  in 
the  circle  of  his  friends,  both  young  and  old,  then  he  was  seen 
at  the  best,  and  his  frank,  loving,  cheerful  nature  came  out 
to  great  advantage.  Like  many  men  whose  professions  doom 
them  to  the  constant  companionship  of  men,  he  enjoyed  all  the 
more  the  few  opportunities  he  had  of  mingling  in  the  society 
of  the  gentler  sex,  and  he  was  every  whit  a  sailor  in  this 
respect.  His  intercourse  with  the  world,  and  with  those  of 
the  highest  position  in  all  parts  of  the  globe,  had  given  his 
manners  great  ease  and  polish. 

He  was  not,  too,  without  the  faults  that  belong  to  warm 
and  lively  natures.  He  was  sometimes  surprised  into  anger 
under  the  sense  of  wrong,  but  was  very  placable,  and  could 
not  rest,  in  opposing  the  will  of  others,  until  he  had  justified 
himself,  if  possible,  in  their  minds.  Although  he  possessed 
great  natural  hopefulness,  yet  he  was  sometimes  sadly  jangled 
and  out  of  tune.  In  times  of  inglorious  inactivity  he  grew 
dispirited,  but  cleared  up  again  like  a  generous  flame  at  the 
call  of  action.  He  was  nervously  anxious  about  results  when 
only  thinking  of  them  or  imagining  them,  and  therefore  over 
cautious  in  preparation ;  but  when  the  moment  came  to  do, 
his  natural  courage  drove  away  all  these  mists  of  anxiety  and 
apprehension.  He  never  was  so  happy  as  when  he  was  driv 
en  most.  He  loved  praise  and  distinction.  He  had  in  this 
respect  the  military  temperament,  which,  for  some  reason,  is 
even  more  intense  in  the  Navy  than  in  the  Army.  He  was 


388  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

extremely  sensitive  about  his  professional  reputation.  When 
he  did  a  praiseworthy  deed,  he  wished  to  have  the  credit  of  it, 
and  was  jealous  of  those  who  he  thought  would  rob  him  of 
his  just  fame.  This  weakness,  if  it  be  such,  it  can  not  be  de 
nied  that  he  had ;  yet,  after  all,  it  did  not  go  deep,  and  was  a 
weakness  rather  than  a  fault.  It  might  have  sprung  from  his 
strong  sense  of  right.  He  did  not  pull  down  others  to  build 
up  his  own  reputation.  He  was  always  ready  to  praise  and 
help  those  who  might  in  some  sense  be  considered  his  rivals. 
As  an  instance  of  this,  his  hearty  commendation  of  General 
Grant  had  a  great  effect  in  putting  a  stop  to  much  newspaper 
abuse  which  that  commander  received  in  the  early  part  of  his 
career.  He  never  suffered  this  love  of  distinction  to  override 
duty,  and  more  than  once  in  his  life,  for  what  he  thought  was 
right,  he  put  himself  squarely  across  the  path  of  his  own  in 
terests,  and  brought  down  upon  himself  the  peril  of  unpopu 
larity,  and  even  of  official  disgrace  and  ruin. 

A  somewhat  mercurial  vein  of  conversation,  or  small  talk, 
which,  as  a  social  man,  he  fell  into,  and  which  did  not  repre 
sent  his  real  mind,  joined  to  the  exhibition  at  times  of  an 
innocent  personal  vanity,  masked  his  character  to  some,  and 
they  did  not  perceive  the  fundamental  truth,  solidity,  and 
greatness  of  his  nature.  But  he  had  no  overweening  estimate 
of  himself,  and  he  was  deeply  modest  as  to  his  own  abilities ; 
yet  he  was  simple,  open-hearted,  and  pleased  with  the  sound 
of  glory ;  yet  few,  if  any,  of  the  leaders  of  the  war  were  more 
entirely  unselfish  in  their  devotion  to  country,  and,  like  Mr. 
Lincoln,  he  was  a  type  of  the  American  democracy  of  the 
true  kind,  on  which  the  hope  of  the  republic  rests,  and  that, 
sooner  or  later,  will  leaven  the  whole  mass.  There  was  not  a 
purer  patriot  among  them  all.  His  life  and  all  he  had  be 
longed  to  his  country. 

Like  other  men  of  strong  character,  he  was,  as  has  been 
often  said,  positive  in  his  opinions  almost  to  obstinacy.  He 


Personal  Courage.  389 


not  only  "believed  he  was  right,"  but  "he  went  ahead." 
He  loved  argument  for  argument's  sake.  Some  vessels  are 
freight-carriers,  and  some  are  batteries  and  rams ;  some  men 
are  the  rich  accumulators  of  knowledge,  others  the  sturdy 
opposers  of  wrong.  Let  not  the  men  of  ideas  or  of  words 
despise  the  men  of  action ;  the  last  war  showed  who  occupied 
then  the  front  rank  and  who  had  to  take  the  second  place. 
Each  should  respect  the  other. 

As  a  military  man,  Admiral  Foote  was  not  reticent,  nor 
was  he  swift  of  decision.  He  liked  and  sought  counsel,  not 
to  be  ruled  by  it,  but  to  be  supplied  with  the  materials  of  a 
good  judgment,  which  he  arrived  at  himself  independently  of 
all  outside  influences.  It  was  impossible  to  know  beforehand 
how  he  would  act  in  any  given  case,  except  that  old  Polonius's 
advice  was  pretty  sure  to  be  followed : 

"But,  being  in, 
Bear't,  that  the  opposed  may  beware  of  thee." 

His  personal  courage  can  not  be  doubted.  He  has  been 
called  "the  Stonewall  Jackson  of  the  American  Navy." 
Though  quiet  and  almost  like  a  clergyman  in  his  appearance 
at  ordinary  times  in  society,  when  he  was  in  battle  he  became 
a  changed  man — his  eye  flashed  fire,  and  then  the  sailors  knew 
what  was  coming,  and  prepared  for  close  quarters.  It  was 
highly  in  character  when,  with  a  linen  umbrella  hoisted  over 
his  head,  he  toiled  through  rice-fields  and  ditches  at  the  head 
of  his  crew  in  the  hot  sun,  and  was  among  the  first  to  enter 
the  breached  Chinese  fort.  His  men  would  follow  him  any 
where,  and  that  is  a  sure  test  of  bravery.  He  said  of  his  sail 
ors  at  the  West,  "  I  have  such  confidence  in  my  men  and  they 
in  me,  that  if  I  say,  Go  there,  I  know  they  will  go  if  it  can  be 
accomplished  by  flesh  and  blood."  But  upon  this  point,  a& 
well  as  upon  others,  this  letter,  coining  from  such  a  source,, 
must  be  regarded  as  most  valuable : 


390  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

"  WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  September  23, 1873. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — Your  letter  of  September  21st  is  received,  and  I  am 
extremely  pleased  to  liear  that  you  have  ready  for  the  press  a  work  in 
commemoration  of  the  late  Admiral  Andrew  H.  Foote,  U.  S.  Navy. 

"  The  admiral  was  in  command  of  the  Mississippi  flotilla  during  the 
operations  up  the  Tennessee  and  Cumberland  rivers,  and  down  the  Mis 
sissippi  during  that  most  important  campaign  of  the  winter  of  1861-2. 
At  that  time  I  was  acting  in  a  sphere  too  subordinate  to  enable  me  to 
form  a  judgment  of  his  capacity  and  power ;  but  in  February,  1862, 1  had 
occasion  several  times  to  see  him  at  Cairo  and  Paducah,  at  which  latter 
place  I  was  in  command.  He  was  personally  very  active,  and  could  be 
seen  at  all  times,  either  at  his  office  in  a  wharf-boat  at  Cairo,  or  on  one 
of  the  iron-clad  boats  of  that  day,  superintending  the  equipment  and 
armament  of  his  flotilla.  He  had  all  the  frankness  and  heartiness  of  the 
Old  Navy,  and  was  as  full  of  enthusiasm  and  adventure  as  a  young  man. 
His  personal  courage  at  Forts  Henry  and  Donelson  (where  he  was  wound 
ed  by  a  cannon-ball  while  in  the  pilot-house)  was  the  subject  of  universal 
praise,  especially  by  the  army  that  saw  and  appreciated  the  gallantry 
of  his  conduct,  and  its  important  bearing  on  the  campaign.  According 
to  my  memory,  it  was  the  wound  he  received  at  Donelson  that  disabled 
him,  and  forced  him  to  obtain  relief  from  a  command  for  which  he  was 
so  eminently  qualified ;  and  in  his  departure  we  all  felt  we  had  sustained 
a  loss  almost  irreparable.  To  me  he  resembled  Farragut,  in  the  sim 
plicity  of  his  mode  of  life,  his  intense  love  of  country  and  profession, 
and  the  extraordinary  personal  courage  that  made  him  an  example  to  all 
the  commanders  of  vessels  in  his  squadron ;  who  in  boats  of  strange 
form  were  subjected  to  danger  from  shore  batteries  and  guerrillas  firing 
from  behind  trees  and  logs — so  different  from  that  to  which  they  had 
been  bred  on  the  high  seas.  .As  one  who  recognizes  the  most  valuable 
services  of  the  Navy  on  our  Western  rivers,  and  is  willing  to  concede  to 
them  a  large  share  in  our  common  victories  in  that  quarter,  I  again  ex 
press  myself  gratified  that  you  have  in  hand  the  biography  of  so  pure  a 
patriot,  so  brave  an  officer,  and  so  kind  a  gentleman  as  was  the  late  Ad 
miral  Foote,  the  pioneer  of  the  Navy  on  the  Western  waters. 
"  With  great  respect,  your  friend  and  servant, 

"W.T.  SHERMAN,  General. 

"  Professor  Hoppin,  Yale  College." 

Upon  the  reasons  that  led  to  his  appointment  to  the  com- 


Letter  of  the  Hon.  Gideon  Welles.  391 

mand  of  the  South  Atlantic  squadron,  and  upon  other  points 
in  his  military  career,  and  in  the  estimation  with  which  he  was 
held  by  the  government  as  an  officer,  as  well  as  in  the  expres 
sion  of  personal  friendship  and  intimate  insight  into  his  quali 
ties  as  a  man,  the  following  communication  from  one  who 
knew  him  best  will  be  read  with  great  interest : 

"  HARTFORD,  October  8, 1873. 

"  DEAR  SIR, — I  have  your  letter  of  the  4th  inst.,  and  am  gratified  to 
know  that  you  are  engaged  in  writing  the  life  of  my  friend,  the  late 
Rear-Admiral  Foote.  Whether  I  can  contribute  any  facts  or  incidents 
to  give  interest  to  your  work,  in  addition  to  those  you  have  already  col 
lected,  is  uncertain.  'We  were  boys  together'  at  Cheshire  Academy 
more  than  half  a  century  ago,  and  the  friendship  then  commenced  con 
tinued  to  his  death.  He  was  three  or  four  years  my  junior,  but  some  of 
our  studies  were  the  same.  After  leaving  the  academy,  we  corresponded 
for  a  time ;  but  his  profession  and  absence  from  the  country,  with  the 
lapse  of  years,  caused  it  to  be  interrupted.  Occasionally,  after  long  in 
tervals,  we  met  and  kept  alive  the  remembrance  of  schoolboy  days,  but 
we  were  seldom  brought  in  contact  until  I  was  called  to  administer  the 
Navy  Department  in  1861.  He  was  at  that  time  the  executive  officer 
of  the  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard,  and  in  that  position,  at  that  critical  period 
of  our  affairs,  his  services,  though  not  as  demonstrative  and  as  generally 
known,  were  scarcely  less  important  and  valuable  to  the  country  than 
those  rendered  soon  after  on  our  Western  waters  in  the  cause  of  the 
Union.  His  labors  and  efficiency  were  felt  and  acknowledged  in  aiding 
the  Navy  Department  to  create  and  call  into  existence  that  impromptu 
Navy  which,  within  a  few  months,  to  the  surprise  of  our  country  and 
the  world,  established  an  effective  blockade  of  three  thousand  five  hun 
dred  miles — a  fact  which,  when  the  blockade  was  ordered,  eminent 
foreign  statesmen  pronounced  a  material  impossibility,  but  which  the 
same  distinguished  authorities  within  one  year  admitted  to  be  conclu 
sive,  and  that  in  no  previous  war  had  the  ports  of  an  enemy's  country 
been  so  effectually  closed  by  a  naval  force. 

"  At  the  very  commencement  of  our  difficulties,  when  the  expedition 
to  Sumter  was  ordered,  and  there  was  a  deficiency  of  vessels  in  com 
mission  for  the  service,  he  by  direction  of  the  Navy  Department  pre 
pared  the  steam-frigate  Powhatan  for  sea  in  one  week,  an  unparalleled 


392  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

performance  when  the  condition  of  that  vessel  is  understood,  she  having 
returned  but  a  few  days  previously  from  a  three  years'  cruise.  Thence 
forward,  until  ordered  in  September  to  other  duties,  he  labored  with  an 
assiduity  and  zeal  which,  being  quiet  and  unheralded,  the  country  never 
realized  or  fully  appreciated.  Headly,  not  always  reliable,  in  his  biog 
raphy  of  Admiral  Porter,  represents  that  officer  as  sitting  for  '  six  days 
and  nights  in  Commodore  (Commander)  Foote's  office,  directing  the  dif 
ferent  operations  and  urging  on  the  work '  of  fitting  out  the  Powhatan — 
k  shoved  the  President's  orders  at  Foote  so  hard,  and  insisted  so  pertina 
ciously  on  a  compliance  with  them,  that  the  latter  had  finally  to  give  in, 
and  went  to  work.'  Foote  was  not  a  man  who  needed  to  be  '  shoved ' 
at  any  time,  nor  would  he  be  likely  to  have  a  junior  officer  in  his  office 
directing  his  operations.  He  was  not  one  who  ever  hesitated  to  obey 
legitimate  orders.  The  statement  of  Headly  does  Foote  great  injustice. 
The  organization  and  employment  of  a  naval  flotilla  on  the  rivers  of 
the  West  was  a  question  much  controverted  and  discussed  in  the  early 
days  of  the  rebellion.  Military  officers  had  at  that  time  little  faith  in 
the  utility  and  power  of  gun-boats  on  the  inland  waters.  It  was  asserted 
that  shore  batteries  would  riddle  and  destroy  vessels  faster  than  they 
could  be  brought  into  service,  unless  protected  by  the  Army.  Boats,  it 
was  admitted,  would  be  serviceable  as  transports,  but  of  little  account 
for  fighting  purposes.  But  under  the  persistent  and  strenuous  urging  of 
Western  gentlemen,  particularly  the  Attorney-General,  Mr.  Bates,  and  the 
celebrated  engineer,  James  B.  Eads,  of  St.  Louis,  the  administration  de 
cided  that  a  co-operating  naval  force  would  be  essential,  if  not  indispen 
sable  to  Army  movements  on  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries.  When 
this  decision  was  reached,  it  was  claimed  that  the  river  service  would 
not  be  strictly  naval,  and  that  any  flotilla  which  might  be  ordered  should 
be  an  appendage  to  the  Army,  and  subject  to  military  control — that  the 
War  Department  would  make  the  expenditures,  purchase  the  boats,  and 
furnish  the  force  to  man  them.  This  was  readily  acceded  to  by  the  Sec 
retary  of  the  Navy,  who  had  at  that  period  as  much  as  he  could  do  to 
create  a  Navy  and  establish  squadrons  on  our  maritime  frontier,  It  was 
soon  ascertained,  however,  that  while  the  War  Department  would  pur 
chase  and  build  boats,  naval  officers  and  naval  gunners  were  required  to 
fit  out,  command,  sail,  and  fight  the  vessels  and  discipline  the  crews.  The 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  therefore,  on  application,  detailed  Commander 
John  Rodgers  with  assistants  for  that  duty.  But  time  was  necessary  to 
procure  suitable  boats,  and  to  prepare  and  properly  arm  and  equip  them, 


Letter  of  the  Hon.  Gideon  Welles.  393 

and  there  were  soon  discontent  and  murmurs  at  the  delay.  This  had  its 
influence,  and  General  Fremont,  on  assuming  command  of  the  Western 
Department,  asked  for  another  and  different  naval  commander.  It  would 
be  difficult,  however,  at  any  time,  to  find  a  more  bold  and  resolute  officer 
than  John  Rodgers  for  any  service.  Besides,  the  duty  was  novel,  and  at 
that  time  not  popular  with  the  Navy.  The  officers  naturally  preferred  sea 
duty,  and  were  reluctant  to  come  under  Army  control.  Moreover,  the 
service  actually  required  a  peculiar  and  high  order  of  talent,  for  a  Navy 
was  to  be  created  without  a  navy  yard  and  its  appliances,  and  to  be 
manned  without  sailors.  Foote  appeared  to  possess  the  requisite  quali 
ties,  and  to  have  the  experience  wanted  beyond  any  other  officer  to  build 
up  a  Navy — was  prompt,  full  of  resources,  fired  with  patriotic  zeal,  and, 
in  active  service  afloat,  had  wonderful  command  and  influence  over  his 
men  in  reconciling  them  to  any  duty.  His  labors  had  been  unwearied 
and  unceasing  from  the  beginning  of  the  rebellion.  His  fidelity  to  the 
government  was  as  marked  in  the  purchase,  construction,  and  repair  of 
vessels  in  the  navy  yards  as  in  the  line  of  his  profession  afloat.  Prudence, 
economy,  vigilance,  and  an  anxious  desire,  not  only  to  obey  orders,  but 
to  serve  the  country,  identify  himself  with  the  government,  and,  if  pos 
sible,  anticipate  its  requirements,  were  marked  traits  of  his  character, 
and  these  were  precisely  the  qualities  which  were  wanted  in  the  anoma 
lous  service  of  the  naval  commander  on  the  rivers  of  the  West.  It  was 
with  great  reluctance  that  the  Department  detached  him  from  the  Navy 
Yard  at  Brooklyn,  where  his  services  had  been  so  useful ;  but  he  seemed 
to  be,  and  results  proved  that  he  was  in  every  respect,  the  man  to  be  in 
trusted  with  the  responsible  duty  of  calling  into  existence  and  command 
ing  the  Mississippi  flotilla,  which  soon  became  so  formidable,  rendered 
such  invaluable  service,  inspired  so  much  confidence  in  the  Union  cause, 
and  was  the  terror  of  the  rebels  wherever  any  of  his  gun-boats  appeared. 
His  battles  gave  him  renown,  but  his  patient  and  herculean  labors  in  pro 
curing  and  organizing  the  flotilla  with  which  those  battles  were  fought 
were  less  known  but  almost  incredible. 

"  It  is  not  my  purpose  in  this  hasty  letter  to  attempt  any  description 
of  the  achievements  which  distinguished  his  brief  career  while  in  com 
mand  of  the  flotilla.  Those,  as  related  by  himself  and  his  officers  in 
their  official  dispatches,  are  published  with  the  Navy  Reports  of  the  pe 
riod,  and  belong  more  properly  to  his  biography  than  to  this  letter.  In 
stead  of  being  protected  by  the  army,  his  gun-boats  were  soon  in  de 
mand  for  the  defense  of  the  military.  It  shortly  became  evident  that  the 


394  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

two  branches  of  the  service  would  be  more  effective  were  they  independ 
ent,  but  co-operating  and  acting  jointly.  Congress  at  an  early  day  or 
dered  a  transfer  of  the  flotilla  from  the  Army  to  the  Navy,  but  it  was  not 
until  after  Foote  had  been  relieved.  With  the  officers  of  the  Army  he 
maintained  a  good  and  friendly  understanding. ;  though  the  restrictions 
which  General  Halleck,  the  successor  of  Fremont,  put  upon  his  movements 
he  always  felt  to  be  not  only  a  grievance  to  himself,  but  an  injustice  to 
the  country ;  and  he  never  hesitated  to  say  that  little  progress  would  be 
made  toward  capturing  Vicksburg,  opening  the  Mississippi,  or  subduing 
the  insurrection  while  Halleck  was  in  active  command  of  the  Western 
Department. 

"  Wounded  at  Donelson,  he  still  continued  on  active  duty,  unwilling  to 
relinquish  his  command  until  I  felt  compelled,  by  reason  of  his  debility, 
to  relieve  him.  While  on  leave,  and  suffering  from  his  wound,  he  was  in 
July  promoted  to  the  office  of  Rear-Admiral ;  and  Congress  having  direct 
ed  a  reorganization  of  the  Navy  Department,  with  three  additional  Bu 
reaus,  he  was  simultaneously  with  his  promotion,  and  while  disabled  from 
service  afloat,  appointed  Chief  of  the  newly  authorized  Bureau  of  Equip 
ment  and  Recruiting.  Some  delay  attended  his  assumption  of  Bureau 
duty  in  consequence  of  the  serious  nature  of  his  wound,  which  was  long 
in  healing.  As  soon  as  his  health  permitted,  he  entered  upon  this  work 
with  all  the  assiduity  and  zeal  he  had  displayed  in  the  Navy  Yard  or  on 
the  Mississippi.  A  few  months,  however,  sufficed  to  show  that  Bureau 
duty  was  not  congenial,  and  that  his  health  suffered  from  clerical  confine 
ment.  He  signified  to  me  that  service  afloat,  whenever  the  Department 
could  give  him  an  appropriate  command,  would  conduce  to  his  health 
and  public  usefulness.  His  wife,  though  sympathizing  with  her  husband, 
regretted  that  he  could  not  remain  contented  in  his  position,  and  ex 
pressed  her  repugnance  to  his  again  and  so  soon  leaving  his  family, 
which  had  recently  experienced  severe  affliction ;  but  she  at  length  called 
on  me  without  his  knowledge,  and  said  she  was  convinced  the  admiral 
was  suffering  in  health  from  confinement  to  clerical  and  shore  duty.  Fre 
quently  and  freely,  in  friendly  conversation,  she  had  expressed  her  wish 
that  he  would  not  again  take  active  command  during  the  war ;  but  she 
now  felt  it  necessary  to  withdraw  all  objections,  and  to  entreat  that, 
should  he  be  assigned  to  active  duty,  it  might  be  to  sea  and  not  river 
service,  where  the  risks  were  great,  disease  prevalent,  and  the  labors  too 
exacting.  When  the  admiral  learned  that  she  had  called  on  me,  he  was 
very  much  annoyed.  He  was  particularly  disturbed  that  she  had  made 


Letter  of  the  Hon.  Gideon  Welles.  395 

any  exception  to  river  employment,  for  he  considered  it  a  duty  to  obey 
orders  of  any  and  every  kind — to  go  wherever  the  Department  directed 
or  thought  he  could  be  most  useful,  for  it  could  best  judge  as  to  the 
wants  of  the  service. 

"  The  hesitancy  and  reluctance  of  Admiral  Dupont,  during  the  winter  of 
1863,  to  attack  Sumter,  the  failure  of  the  assault  when  made  in  April,  fol 
lowed  by  his  total  want  of  confidence  in  further  effort,  and  an  express  de^ 
sire  and  intention  to  withdraw  the  vessels  from  Charleston  harbor,  with 
the  injurious  effect  of  his  dispiriting  influence  upon  his  subordinates,  were 
matters  of  deep  concern  to  the  Navy  Department  and  the  administra 
tion.  Foote  participated  in  the  general  disappointment  over  the  result 
at  Charleston ;  his  friendship  for  Dupont,  however,  prevented  him  from 
giving  utterance  to  any  opinion  adverse  to  that  officer.  But  personal 
feeling  was  not  permitted  to  interfere  with  public  duty.  It  was  finally 
determined,  as  a  matter  of  necessity,  to  relieve  Dupont;  but  there  was  some 
difficulty  in  regard  to  the  selection  of  a  successor.  Among  three  or  four 
names  that  were  canvassed,  Foote's  was  prominent ;  but  so  sensitive  were 
his  feelings  toward  Dupont,  and  the  delicacy  of  his  position  in  connection 
with  the  Department,  that  he  frankly  expressed  a  wish  that  he  might  not 
be  called  upon  to  supersede  his  friend.  But  after  a  thorough  examina 
tion  of  all  the  circumstances,  and  with  a  full  knowledge  of  his  views  in 
regard  to  operations,  freely  expressed  before  the  failure  of  Dupont  and 
when  success  was  considered  certain,  it  was  decided  to  give  him  command 
of  the  South  Atlantic  squadron.  To  relieve  Dupont,  who  had  court 
friends  and  admirers,  would  be  likely  to  cause  commotion,  though  he  had 
indirectly  invited  it.  Foote  had  shown  his  ability  for  the  position,  and 
possessed  in  an  eminent  degree,  beyond  any  other  officer  suggested  except 
Farragut,  the  confidence  of  the  country.  Farragut  could  not  be  with 
drawn  from  his  important  command  in  the  Gulf  and  on  the  Lower  Missis 
sippi.  I  therefore,  on  the  29th  of  May,  invited  Foote  to  an  interview,  and 
after  a  frank  and  free  interchange  of  opinion  in  regard  to  the  duties  ex 
pected  and  required  of  the  commander  of  the  South  Atlantic  squadron — 
the  rigid  enforcement  of  the  blockade  of  the  entire  coast,  and  particularly 
of  operations  against  Charleston,  and  the  absolute  sealing  up  of  its  har 
bor — informed  him.  that  he  was  designated  for  that  command.  On  the 
same  day  I  introduced  him  to  General  Gilmore,  who  had  been  selected  by 
the  War  Department  to  take  the  place  of  General  Hunter,  and  was  with 
the  military  forces  expected  to  co-operate  with  him  and  the  Navy  in  joint 
movements  in  Charleston  harbor.  That  conference,  though  interesting, 


396  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

was  never  in  its  details  consummated  by  Foote.  It  was  arranged  that 
Rear- Admiral  Dahlgren,  distinguished  for  his  proficiency  in  ordnance,  be 
tween  whom  and  Foote  there  was  close  intimacy  and  friendship,  should 
be  associated  with  him  as  second  in  command  for  special  duty  in  the  an 
ticipated  operations  against  Charleston. 

"  The  question  being  settled,  and  Foote  having  received  his  orders,  he 
entered  with  alacrity  upon  his  new  duties.  The  necessary  details  were  at 
once  commenced,  and  on  Sunday,  the  31st,  I  met  him  at  the  door  of  the 
church  as  I  was  leaving  after  the  morning  service,  and  we  spent  some 
time  together  on  the  subject  of  his  command.  He  proposed  to  leave  that 
evening  for  New  York  with  Commander  Simpson,  whom  he  had  selected 
as  his  confidential  executive  officer.  Although  noted  for  his  strict  relig 
ious  sentiments,  he  would  not  permit  the  sanctity  of  the  Sabbath  to  inter 
rupt  him  in  the.  necessary  discharge  of  his  duty.  That  week  he  was  en 
gaged  in  active  preparation  for  his  departure ;  but  there  was  unexpected 
delay  on  the  part  of  one  habitually  and  proverbially  prompt  in  his  move 
ments  in  leaving,  or  in  specifying  the  day  on  which  he  would  leave  for 
his  command.  I  had  a  letter  from  him  on  Monday,  the  8th  of  June,  and 
its  unusually  desponding  tone,  complaining  of  disability  and  bad  health, 
alarmed  me ;  but  on  the  following  day  (Tuesday,  the  9th)  he  made  a  flying 
visit  to  Washington,  when  his  earnest  manner  and  evident  and  expressed 
satisfaction  with  his  new  command,  dissipated  and  put  at  rest  any  appre 
hension  I  might  have  entertained  from  his  letter.  He  also  explained  the 
cause  of  his  depressed  feelings,  and  the  reason  why  his  departure  had 
been  delayed.  It  might  also,  he  said,  lead  to  a  further  detention  of  two 
or  three  days,  unless  the  necessities  of  the  service  demanded  his  immedi 
ate  departure.  Dupont  he  was  aware  had  been  advised  that  he  would  be 
relieved,  and  it  was  important  that  the  change  of  commanders  should  take 
place  as  speedily  as  possible ;  but  on  reaching  home,  preparatory  to  his 
departure,  the  appearance  of  Mrs.  Foote,  whose  delicate  and  failing  health 
was  evidently  giving  way,  alarmed  him.  On  conversing  with  the  attend 
ing  physicians,  he  was  frankly  told  her  case  was  hopeless — that  her  days 
on  earth  were  numbered,  and  she  could  not  long  survive.  It  became  nec 
essary,  therefore,  for  him  to  make  arrangements  for  his  family  wholly  dif 
ferent  from  what  he  had  expected.  When  he  should  leave  for  his  station, 
it  would  be  with  the  melancholy  knowledge  on  his  part  that  it  was  a 
final  earthly  separation — that  they  would  never  again  meet  in  this  life. 
Nevertheless  he  had  so  far  completed  his  arrangements  that  he  intended 
to  leave  on  the  Tuscarora  on  Monday,  the  15th,  for  his  station.  He  took 


His  War  Record.  397 

his  leave  of  me  that  evening  to  return  to  New  York,  expecting  to  embark 
on  the  succeeding  Monday.  We  never  met  again.  On  the  morning  of 
Thursday,  the  18th,  I  received  information  that  he  was  lying  dangerously 
ill  at  the  Astor  House,  in  New  York,  having  arrived  there  on  his  way  to 
his  command.  The  tidings  on  that  and  the  succeeding  day  were  alarm 
ing,  and  on  Saturday  Dr.  Wheelan,  Chief  of  the  Bureau  of  Medicine,  an 
old  friend  and  admirer,  in  whom  Foote  had  great  faith,  left  Washington 
to  attend  him.  Admiral  Dahlgren,  who  was  associated  with  Foote,  and 
had  been  in  New  York  expecting  to  accompany  him  to  Port  Royal,  re 
turned  to  Washington,  and  called  on  me  on  Sunday.  He  said  Foote's 
case  was  hopeless — that  he  had  an  interview  with  him  on  Saturday,  when 
the  admiral  told  him  all  was  over,  that  it  was  '  the  last  of  this  world,  and 
he  was  prepared  for  the  event.'  He  lingered  until  the  26th,  when  he 
died.  His  devoted  and  loving  wife,  for  whom  he  felt  so  much  solicitude, 
and  from  whom  he  expected  an  earlier  and  final  earthly  separation,  at 
tended  him  in  his  last  illness,  and  survived  him  several  months.  Next  to 
Farragut,  Foote  was,  unquestionably,  at  the  time  of  his  death  the  most 
popular  officer  in  the  Navy,  and  had  more  fully  the  confidence,  not  only  of 
the  Navy,  but  of  the  government  and  country.  He  was  proud  of  his  pro 
fession,  and  did  much,  by  his  example  and  precept,  to  elevate  the  tone 
and  character  of  the  Navy.  No  man  had  greater  influence  over  his  men. 
His  earnest  sincerity  inspired  confidence  which  was  felt  in  battle,  and  led 
his  command  to  do  or  die ;  in  peaceful  times  it  had  improved  their  hab 
its  and  elevated  their  character  and  self-respect.  The  unexpected  death 
of  this  gentleman  and  truly  Christian'  sailor  was  deplored  by  those  who 
knew  him,  and  was  an  irreparable  loss  to  the  government  and  country. 
"  Very  respectfully,  GIDEON  WELLES. 

"  Professor  James  M.  Hoppin." 

As  to  what  Admiral  Foote  really  accomplished  in  the  last 
war,  nothing  need  be  added  to  what  has  been  said.  The  sim 
ple  facts  are  the  best  witnesses ;  but  it  is  a  singular  thing  in 
regard  to  the  kind  of  service  that  he  rendered,  that  he  who 
passionately  loved  the  sea,  and  who  coveted  the  fame  of  the 
older  sea-captains,  who  fought  their  ships  in  blue  water,  should 
have  been  above  all  a  fort-batterer,  a  fort-taker,  and  that  his 
principal  exploits  should  have  been  in  this  line  against  earth 
works  and  stone-works,  such  as  the  Chinese  Barrier  Forts, 


398  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

Fort  Henry,  Fort  Donelson,  Columbus,  Island  No.  Ten.  He 
had  no  opportunity  to  lead  a  squadron  or  a  single  ship  to  the 
encounter  amid  the  winds  and  waves  of  the  open  ocean,  where 
seamanship  and  skill  are  almost  of  as  much  account  as  valor ; 
but  we  may  imagine  that  the  same  qualities  of  mingled  caution 
and  daring  would  have  characterized  his  operations,  and  that, 
once  tackled  to  an  enemy,  he  never  would  have  released  his 
hold.  He  was,  we  would  say  in  this  connection,  as  a  seaman, 
thorough  but  prudent,  and  from  being  overcautious  when  first 
in  command,  he  is  said  by  those  competent  to  judge  to  have 
grown  extremely  bold  in  his  seamanship,  and  ready  to  do  any 
thing  that  the  circumstances  dictated.* 

He  is  to  be  judged  by  the  quality  of  what  he  did  in  the  war, 
rather  than  the  quantity — he  was  in  active  service  consider 
able  less  than  a  year.  During  that  time  the  blows  he  struck 
were  telling  blows — there  were  none  more  so.  He  had  the 
sagacity  to  perceive  the  right  point  of  attack  where  the  blow 
would  be  felt.  Before  he  was  thought  of  as  one  to  take  com 
mand  at  the  West,  and  before  naval  operations  in  that  quarter 
were  decided  upon  by  the  government,  he  advanced  the  opin 
ion  that  there  would  be  need  of  gun-boats  on  the  Western 
waters ;  and  when  he  really  took  hold  of  the  matter,  he  saw 
at  once  the  value  of  the  idea,  and  threw  himself  into  it  with 
all  his  force,  until  it  grew  to  be  a  mighty  fact  under  his  hand ; 
so  that,  in  the  words  of  another,  whereas  "not  a  gun  belong 
ing  to  the  Navy  was  to  be  found  on  the  Mississippi  or  its 
tributaries  at  the  beginning  of  the  war,  before  the  close  of  the 
war  there  were  a  hundred  steamers  armed  with  new  American 
guns."  Not  that  Foote  accomplished  all  this,  but  he  was  a  main 
factor  in  its  accomplishment.  When  once  the  instrument  was 

*  I  am  indebted  to  Surgeon  S.  Henriques  of  the  Bureau  of  Equipment 
and  Recruiting,  one  of  Admiral  Foote's  oldest  friends,  who  sailed  with 
him  in  the  Pwtsmouth,  and  who  was  with  him  at  the  West,  for  much  in 
formation  on  professional  points. 


The  Sailor  s  Friend.  399 

shaped  to  his  hand  he  used  it  with  great  skill.  He  brought  it 
to  bear  with  tremendous  effect. 

He  seized  wTith  the  intuition  of  genius  upon  the  strategic 
importance  of  Fort  Henry  as  a  key  of  the  enemy's  position  in 
Northern  Tennessee,  and  the  impulse  as  well  as  the  plan  to 
capture  that  stronghold  went  from  him.  That  was  the  be 
ginning  of  the  end  of  the  Southern  power  in  the  Southwest. 
The  permanent  hold  of  the  loyal  arms  upon  the  South  was 
then  established,  which  was  never  afterward  essentially  weak 
ened,  and  which  slowly  but  surely  from  that  moment  advanced 
in  strength.  We  quote  the  following  words  as  including  in  a 
comprehensive  form  a  fair  statement  of  the  military  services 
that  Admiral  Foote  rendered  to  his  country  during  the  War  of 
the  Rebellion :  "  By  these  brilliant  operations  of  the  Army  and 
Navy,  the  rebel  line  of  defense  was  broken  at  the  centre,  and 
this  made  it  a  necessity  for  them  to  abandon  the  two  wings  of 
this  line — Bowling  Green  on  their  right,  and  Columbus  on  the 
Mississippi.  It  was  one  of  the  great  hinge-points  of  the  war, 
the  first  great  blow  which  the  rebellion  received.  A  forced 
lodgment  in  the  heart  of  Tennessee  involved,  almost  of  neces 
sity,  the  final  overthrow  of  the  rebel  cause.  The  naval  battles 
which  had  been  fought  on  the  Atlantic  coast  were  perhaps  more 
brilliant ;  but  none,  unless  it  were  that  between  the  Monitor 
and  the  Merrimack,  were  followed  by  more  important  results." 

As  a  friend  of  the  sailor,  Admiral  Foote  will  be  long  and 
warmly  remembered.  He  saw  the  rough  diamond  in  Jack's 
nature.  He  knew  his  wants  and  temptations.  The  seaman 
recognized  him  instinctively  as  his  friend,  and  went  to  him  for 
help  in  his  troubles ;  and  one  of  the  most  touching  tributes 
paid  to  the  admiral's  memory  was  in  some  resolutions  passed 
immediately  after  his  death  by  the  New  York  Port  Society, 
in  which  it  was  said :  "  He  led  the  men  of  his  command  in 
battle  and  inspired  them  by  his  valor — he  led  them  likewise  in 
the  way  of  Christian  truth.  His  care  for  the  men  was  marked 

DD 


400  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

not  alone  in  the  line  of  his  official  duty,  but  he  sought  to  pro 
mote  their  temporal  good,  and  above  all  to  make  them  follow 
ers  of  the  Captain  of  salvation.  He  was  wont  to  proclaim  the 
Gospel  to  them  in  public  and  private.  Admiral  Foote  evinced 
an  earnest  interest  in  behalf  of  the  men  of  the  sea.  While  we 
deeply  deplore  his  loss,  we  confidently  believe  that  our  departed 
friend  has  now  gained  the  welcome  approval  of  his  Lord." 

We  now  gladly  give  an  interesting  letter  from  one  who  had 
rare  opportunities  to  know  Admiral  Foote  in  the  most  familial- 
relations — who  sailed  with  him,  and  yet  who  was  not  a  sailor 
nor  a  man  of  war,  but  a  man  of  peaceful  pursuits,  and  at  aij 
age,  too,  when  persons  are  the  most  critical — just  when  youth 
is  turning  into  manhood.  The  captain's  private  secretary,  if 
at  all  a  shrewd  observer,  must  have  had  pretty  good  opportuni 
ties  on  a  long  voyage  of  seeing  his  commander  just  as  he  was 
— in  his  weakness  as  well  as  strength : 

"PARSONAGE,  ORANGE  VALLEY,  NEW  JERSEY,  j 
October  1, 1873.  ) 

"MY  DEAR  SIR, — My  acquaintance  with  the  late  Admiral  Foote  began 
when  he  was  a  lieutenant-commanding,  and  had  just  returned  from  that 
cruise  on  the  coast  of  Africa  concerning  which  he  has  himself  written. 
Coming  back  to  New  Haven  on  furlough,  I  used  to  see  him  in  the  Sun 
day-school,  where  I  was  a  scholar  and  he  a  teacher,  and  in  frequent 
visits  at  my  father's  house.  Soon  afterward,  when  my  impaired  health 
made  it  necessary  for  me  to  abandon  my  studies  for  a  while,  he  kindly 
promised  me  that  I  should  go  with  him  on  his  next  cruise  as  captain's 
clerk. 

"  The  next  cruise  turned  out  to  be  an  eventful  one.  He  was  given  the 
command  of  the  Portsmouth  sloop-of-war,  which  at  that  time  (1856)  was 
considered  one  of  the  very  best  among  our  sailing-vessels.  The  Ports 
mouth  was  fitted  out  at  Norfolk  with  great  care,  and  carried  "a  battery  of 
8-inch  guns,  in  the  working  of  which  Foote  and  his  friend  Dahlgren 
felt  the  deepest  interest.  It  was  the  first  time,  I  believe,  that  a  ship 
of  the  Portsmouth's  class  had  been  fitted  with  a  battery  of  such  heavy 
ordnance.  And  the  service  which  she  was  called  to  render  in  the  reduc 
tion  of  the  Barrier  Forts  in  the  Canton  river  proved  to  have  great  value 


Letter  of  the  Rev.  George  B.  Bacon.          401 

as  showing  the  efficacy  of  the  heavy  metal  which  a  sloop-of-war  of  her 
size  could  carry.  The  results  of  that  bombardment  were  made  the  sub- 
jec"t  of  a  special  report  to  the  Ordnance  Department  and  of  private  letters 
to  Dahlgren,  whose  scientific  reputation  was  as  highly  valued  by  Foote 
as  if  it  had  been  his  own.  It  was  an  eminently  wise  choice  which,  years 
afterward,  in  the  war  of  our  rebellion,  put  these  two  men  together  in  that 
important  service  in  Charleston  harbor  to  which  Foote  was  ordered  when 
his  death  occurred.  They  would  have  worked  together  as  hardly  any 
other  two  men  in  the  service  could  have  worked — each  of  them  helping 
out  the  other's  characteristics  with  his  own  peculiar  qualities.  It  is  idle, 
of  course,  to  conjecture  what  might  have  happened  if  Foote, had  been 
spared  to  carry  out  the  plans  which  the  Department  had  marked  out  for 
him.  But  to  those  of  us  who  knew  him  best  it  seemed  that  he  was 
standing  on  the  threshold  of  an  opportunity  which  would  have  given  to 
him  and  to  the  flag  for  which  he  fought  a  renown  even  more  illustrious 
than  his  career  had  yet  furnished. 

"  The  only  time  I  ever  saw  him  engaged  in  active  hostilities  was  when 
the  Portsmouth  was  occupied  in  the  reduction  of  the  Barrier  Forts.  At  this 
distance  of  time,  when  almost  all  the  actors  in  it  have  passed  away,  there 
is  no  harm  in  saying  that  that  fight  was  Foote's  from  the  beginning  to 
the  end  of  it.  There  were  three  of  our  ships  engaged  in  it ;  but  it  was 
his  determination  and  energy  which  gave  to  the  action  its  prompt  and 
vigorous  success.  I  need  not  repeat  the  story  of  the  engagement ;  but  I 
shall  never  forget  the  impression  of  vehemence  and  concentration  of  pur 
pose  which  the  admiral's  conduct  produced,  not  only  on  me,  but  I  think 
I  may  fairly  say  upon  the  whole  squadron.  He  was  a  splendid  fighter, 
with  just  that  combination  of  audacity  and  caution,  of  impetuosity 
and  persistence,  of  natural  combativeness  and  scientific  skill,  which 
makes  the  very  best  kind  of  military  or  naval  leadership.  In  the  fight 
at  the  Barrier  Forts  he  exposed  himself  to  the  greatest  danger ;  while  he 
was  bringing  his  ship  to  anchor  at  close  range,  two  round  shot  passed 
within  a  foot  or  two  of  his  head  ;  and  he  led  in  person  the  landing-party 
which  assaulted  the  forts  at  the  close  of  the  bombardment.  He  gave  me, 
I  remember,  sealed  letters  to  his  family,  written  at  the  latest  moment 
before  starting  for  the  shore,  with  instructions  to  forward  them  if  he 
should  not  return.  And  in  all  his  behavior  he  showed  that  highest  kind 
of  courage  which  recognizes  to  the  full  the  peril  of  the  hour,  and,  recog 
nizing  it,  is  no  way  disquieted  or  hindered  by  it.  Moreover,  there  was 
that  kind  of  natural  and  professional  fondness  for  a  fight,  for  the  fight's 


402  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

sake,  which  I  suspect  a  mere  civilian  can  not  fully  comprehend  nor  ap 
preciate. 

"  I  am  not  very  competent  to  estimate  his  seamanship ;  but  I  know 
that  the  skillful  handling  of  the  Portsmouth  was  matter  of  general  remark 
and  admiration  at  the  various  ports  of  our  cruisiug-ground.  And  I  re 
member  one  officer,  not  personally  friendly  to  Foote,  who  nevertheless 
acknowledged  that  he  was  the  best  sailor  he  ever  saw.  His  vigilant  and 
intelligent  oversight  of  the  smallest  details  in  the  management  of  the 
ship  was  something  which  I  could  not  help  seeing.  He  could  never  put 
off  responsibility  on  his  subordinates.  Even  when  he  was  prostrated 
with  the  sick-headaches  which  used  to  torment  him  at  frequent  intervals 
and  drive  him  almost  crazy  with  suffering,  he  would  insist  on  knowing 
what  was  going  on.  I  would  hear  him  groaning  with  distress  in  his 
room  one  moment,  and  the  next  he  would  be  on  deck  directing  the  man 
agement  of  the  vessel.  Nothing  would  excuse  him  from  the  personal 
oversight  of  all  the  ship's  affairs.  His  command  was  never  a  sinecure. 
If  there  were  not  work  enough  to  keep  him  busy,  and  to  keep  the  ship's 
company  busy  also,  then  he  would  make  work.  And,  somehow  or  other, 
his  cruises  were  almost  always  famous  and  eventful. 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  the  admiral  never  appeared  to  the  best  advantage 
except  when  he  had  upon  him  the  pressure  of  the  very  gravest  and  most 
responsible  duty.  So  long  as  his  work  was  easy  and  commonplace,  the 
superficial  defects  of  his  character  were  evident.  He  might  appear  to  be 
a  fussy,  fidgety  man,  of  inordinate  self-consciousness,  and  with  a  love  of 
approbation  which  could  easily  pass  for  vanity  with  those  who  chose  to 
call  it  so.  But  let  him  have  a  burden  of  work  and  responsibility  put 
upon  him  which  would  have  crushed  an  ordinary  man,  and  it  straight 
way  appeared  how  far  he  was  from  being  an  ordinary  man.  The  super 
ficial  defects  of  his  character  disappeared.  His  love  of  approbation  was 
only  a  wholesome  stimulus  to  duty.  His  self-consciousness  only  gave 
him  the  more  complete  self-mastery.  And  his  restless  nervousness  be 
came  an  intense  and  wary  vigilance  which  was  an  almost  certain  assur 
ance  of  success.  What  would  break  down  most  men  only  served  to  steady 
him,  and  put  him  in  the  best  trim  and  attitude  for  achievement. 

"  There  was  no  mistake  about  the  religious  character  of  the  man.  It 
was  genuine  and  admirable.  He  was  in  earnest  to  do  good,  and  eager  to 
have  his  influence  felt  where  it  would  tell  for  righteousness.  On  board 
the  Portsmouth  he  repeated  the  experiment  which  was  so  successful  on 
board  the  brig  P&rry  on  his  previous  cruise— the  experiment  of  persuad- 


Letter  of  the  Rev.  George  B.  Bacon.          403 

ing  the  crew  to  a  surrender  of  their  grog -ration.  Most  of  the  ship's 
company  agreed  to  it,  after  listening  to  the  lively  and  well-put  speech  in 
which  Foote  stated  the  case  to  them  just  before  we  sailed  from  Norfolk. 
During  the  voyage  out  to  China,  I  think  n«  spirit-rations  were  served. 
But  presently  the  discontent  of  a  few  broke  up  the  plan,  and  before  the 
cruise  was  finished  the  total  abstinence  had  generally  come  to  an  end. 
The  good  effect  of  their  captain's  influence,  however,  was  not  lost  upon 
the  men.  There  was  no  mistaking  the  kindness  and  Christian  faithful 
ness  of  his  interest  in  their  welfare,  even  if  this  special  endeavor  in  behalf 
of  temperance  was  partially  defeated. 

"  So,  too,  with  the  religious  services  on  shipboard.  It  was  the  cap 
tain's  custom  to  conduct  these  in  person  in  the  absence  of  a  chaplain — 
reading  a  part  of  the  service  from  the  Prayer-book  of  the  Episcopal 
Church,  and  sometimes  a  printed  sermon.  Besides  this,  he  would  some 
times  hold  a  more  informal  prayer-meeting  on  the  berth-deck,  at  which 
the  attendance  was  not  compulsory ;  or  he  would  gather  the  apprentice 
boys  in  a  Sunday-school  class,  and  attempt  some  simple  instruction  of 
them  in  religious  truth.  Always  when  in  port  he  took  pains  to  have  his 
religious  profession  and  endeavor  understood.  Knowing  how  often  the 
influence  of  officers  and  men  is  not  especially  manifest  on  the  side  of 
Christian  faith  and  charity,  he  went  out  of  his  way  to  show  that  his  in 
fluence  was  not  to  be  of  that  sort ;  so  that  the  arrival  of  the  Portsmouth 
was  always  as  welcome,  to  say  the  least,  to  the  missionary  families  of  any 
port  as  to  the  mercantile  or  diplomatic  community.  He  believed  in  show 
ing  his  colors.  When  the  Second  King  of  Siam  came  down  from  Bang 
kok  to  visit  the  Portsmouth,  he  expressed  some  courteous  surprise  when 
Foote  asked  a  blessing  at  the  table  as  they  sat  down  to  dinner.  He  had 
supposed,  his  majesty  intimated,  that  only  missionary  folk  did  that  sort 
of  thing.  And  he  received  some  new  light  in  regard  to  religious  life  in 
Christian  lands  when  the  admiral  seized  the  opportunity  to  class  himself 
among  the  missionary  folk,  and  to  identify  their  faith  and  their  endeav 
ors  as  his  own.  And  so  always  and  in  all  company,  rather  than  have 
any  thing  doubtful  or  equivocal  about  his  own  position,  he  would  make 
an  opportunity  to  declare  it.  He  never  forgot  his  loyalty  to  Christ  and 
to  his  Cross.  And  he  was  anxious,  if  it  were  possible,  to  be  not  only  a 
Christian  man,  but  a  Christian  officer — bringing  his  flag  with  him  in  his 
religious  service,  and  making  the  nation  which  he  represented  to  be 
known  as  not  in  name  only,  but  in  fact,  a  Christian  nation.  How  suc 
cessful  he  was,  on  one  or  two  notable  occasions,  in  accomplishing  this 


404  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

endeavor,  the  story  of  his  life,  as  you  have  written  it,  will,  I  doubt  not, 
abundantly  show. 

"  It  was  partly  his  broad  religious  spirit  which  saved  him  from  becom 
ing  a  merely  technical,  routine  officer,  knowing  his  profession  and  know 
ing  nothing  else.  It  was  as  far  as  possible  from  such  narrowness.  His 
interest  in  letters,  in  science,  in  politics,  was  generous  and  intelligent. 
His  interest  in  men  was  kind  and  thoughtful.  In  many  ways,  in  little 
ways  as  well  as  in  those  more  important,  I  was  personally  indebted  to  his 
thoughtfulness  and  care  for  me.  The  two  years  that  I  spent  with  him— 
the  first  as  his  clerk  in  intimate  confidential  relationship,  the  second  as 
his  purser— gave  me  the  opportunity  to  know  him  thoroughly.-  The 
wider  reputation  which  he  acquired  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  did  not 
at  all  surprise  me.  I  am  sure  that  he  would  have  proved  equal  to  any 
opportunity  which  a  longer  life  had  brought  to  him.  And  his  example 
seems  to  me  one  most  worthy  to  be  studied  and  to  be  followed.  Brave, 
skillful,  true — a  good  sailor,  a  good  fighter,  a  good  citizen,  a  good  man 
— Christian  in  word  and  deed  and  life — the  nation,  for  which  he  lived 
and  died,  needs  only  to  know  him  better  in  order  to  love  him  more,  and 
to  honor  his  memory  as  among  its  choicest  treasures. 

"  Most  truly  yours,  GEORGE  B.  BACON." 

Toward  the  last  of  May,  1874,  the  writer  of  this  biography 
met,  by  good  fortune,  Commodore  Rodgers,  Chief  of  Bureau 
of  Docks  and  Yards,  at  the  room  of  Secretary  Robeson  in 
Washington,  D.  C.  The  conversation  turned  upon  Admiral 
Foote.  "  Foote,"  said  Commodore  Rodgers,  "  had  more  of  the 
bull-dog  than  any  man  I  ever  knew.  He  did  not,  like  some 
men,  plan  gallant  deeds  on  his  bed.  and  when  the  pinch  came 
discover  he  was  no  hero;  bui  when  the  fighting  came,  then 
he  was  in  his  element — he  liked  it.  He  had  some  charming- 
foibles,  which  only  endeared  him  the  more  to  those  who  knew 
him ;  and  among  these  he  thought  he  was  an  orator,  which  he 
certainly  was  not.  He  was  a  man  of  acute  nervous  organiza 
tion,  which  accounted  for  some  of  his  impulsive  acts.  He  was 
a  man  of  deep  religious  principle,  and  was  one  in  whom  the 
government  entirely  confided,  and  on  whom  events,  turned. 
He  was  a  splendid  naval  officer.  He  was  a  typical  man." 


Concluding  Words.  405 

Why  need  we  add  more  words  of  friends  or  of  our  own  ? 
Our  grateful  task  is  finished.  We  have  striven  to  give  a  plain 
and  straightforward  story,  without  exaggeration,  without  cov 
ering  up  flaws,  and  without  keeping  back  hearty  praise  of 
noble  qualities  and  great  actions.  Farragut,  Foote,  Dupont, 
Goldsborough,  Dahlgren,  the  two  Porters,  Winslow,Worden — 
are  not  these  worthy  to  take  their  place  with  the  sea-captains 
of  the  earlier  days  of  the  republic — yes,  with  those  ancient  En 
glish  worthies  who,  in  their  nimble  little  vessels,  grappled  with 
invincible  tenacity  the  many-towered  ships  of  the  Spanish  Ar 
mada,  and  saved  England  to  freedom  and  the  Protestant  faith  ? 
In  them  all  burned 

"The  unconquerable  mind,  and  Freedom's  holy  flame." 

In  one  of  them,  we  know,  burned  a  still  purer  and  holier  flame. 
Ko  man,  says  Coleridge,  can  be  in  the  highest  sense  a  hero 
who  is  not  a  man  of  faith.  It  is  the  overpowering  sense  of 
God,  of  the  greatness  of  the  thought  of  him,  of  loyalty  to 
his  service,  that  dissipates  littleness  and  selfish  fear,  raises  the 
mind  above  material  elements,  and  makes  it  truly  heroic.  The 
faith  of  a  sailor  is  often  one  of  peculiar  power  and  depth. 
Where  life  itself  is  the  price  of  constant  watchfulness,  of 
scrupulous  order,  of  patient  endurance,  of  unflinching  obe 
dience  to  one  governing  will,  the  grand  law  of  duty  is  apt  to 
be  well  learned  in  the  school  of  old  ocean.  Where,  too,  the 
ship  is  alone  on  the  sea,  suspended  over  a  mysterious  abyss 
that  stretches  like  a  dim  eternity  before  the  eye,  the  thought 
of  God,  and  dependence  upon  him,  and  final  accountability  to 
him,  fills  the  religious  mind ;  so  that  the  man  who  spends 
much  of  his  life  at  sea  is  often  a  man  of  strong  faith. 

And  this  same  ocean,  whose  storms  shake  the  world,  also 
binds  the  world  closely  together.  Through  its  waters  pass 
those  lines  of  national  intercommunication  which,  though  they 
vanish  after  the  track  of  the  ship's  keel,  are  nevertheless  the 


406  Life  of  Admiral  Foote. 

viewless  lines  which  knit  the  race  of  man  into  one  brother 
hood  ;  and  thus  the  ocean  becomes  the  means  of  educating 
and  increasing  the  love  of  man. 

Duty  to  God — love  to  man — these  were  the  words  written 
on  the  colors  which  he  sailed  under,  the  simple  and  unadorned 
narrative  of  whose  life  has  been  given  in  these  pages — and 
he  never  pulled  down  his  flag. 


INDEX. 


"Africa  and  the  American  Flag," 
quoted,  66,  68,  69,  70,  74 ;  notices  of, 
99,  100. 

Ambrizette,  Queen  of,  84. 

American  Flag,  abuse  of  the,  72. 

Anderson,  Dr.,  quoted,  42. 

Appeal  of  a  son,  357. 

Arkansas,  fight  with  the  gun-boat,  348, 
351. 

"Ashburton  Treaty,"  104. 


Bacon,  Dr.  L.,  381. 

Bacon,  Rev.  G.  B.,  letter  from,  400. 

Bangkok,  128. 

"Barrier  Forts,"  storming  of  the,  113. 

Barren,  Commodore,  54,  105. 

Beecher,  Chaplain  James,  124 ;   letter 

to,  124. 
Bell,  Commander  H.  H.,  letters  from, 

134. 

Belmont,  battle  of,  185. 
Benton,  the  gun-boat,  165, 267, 268, 312, 

326,  327,  359. 
Bethune,  Dr.  G.  W.,102. 
Biddle,  Commodore,  57. 
"Black  stain,"  story  of  the,  64. 
Boldness  in  attack,  370. 
Bo\vring,  Sir  John,  1 1 2. 
Boyhood,  17. 
Boynton's  "  Civil  History  of  the  Navy," 

quoted,  165,  257,  287. 
Brooklyn  Navy  Yard,  137. 
Brooks,  J.  Hv  367,  377,  382. 
Buckingham,  Governor,  346. 
Buckner,  General,  220,  225. 
Budd,  Captain,  letter  from,  33. 
Budington,  Dr.,  309,  375. 


"  Bureau   of  Equipment  and  Recruit 
ing,"  344,  365. 
Burial,  383. 

C. 

Cairo,  head-quarters  at,  181, 185, 305. 

Cairo,  the  gun-boat,  158. 

Canton,  112. 

Canton  merchants,  letter  of,  127. 

Carondelet,  the  gun-boat,  158,  204,  221, 
222,224,283,348,359. 

Catholic  controversy,  42,  49. 

Character,  385. 

Chatsworth,  capture  of  the  slave-ship, 
83. 

Cheshire,  Conn.,  early  home  in,  20. 

Christian  Missions,  99. 

Cincinnati,  the  gun-boat,  168,  201, 
243. 

Clarksville,  capture  of,  234  ;  proclama 
tion  at,  234. 

Cleveland,  Ohio,  temporary  residence  at, 
314,  331. 

Colonization  Society,  lecture  before  the, 
98. 

Columbia,  the,  44. 

Columbus,  reconnoissance  of,  241 ;  evac 
uation  of,  249. 

Conestoga,  the  gun-boat,  158, 159, 171, 
174,  222. 

Congo  River,  85. 

Constitution,  the,  40. 

Cooper's  Naval  History,  quoted,  39,  40, 
41. 

Courts-martial,  142. 

Cruising-ground  of  the  Perry,  66. 

Cullum,  Brigadier-General  George  W., 
245,  264. 

Cumberland,  cruise  of  the,  58. 


408 


Index. 


D. 

Dahlgren,  Rear- Admiral  J.  A.,  64,  380; 
letters  from,  76, 106,  1 83. 

Dana,  Professor,  141. 

Dana,  Richard,  quoted,  27. 

Davis,  Rear- Admiral  C.  H.,  31,  102, 
156,  308,  310,  312,  319,  336,  348. 

Death,  378 ;  of  son,  269. 

Defective  guns,  1 83. 

Delaware,  voyage  of  the,  35. 

Detached  from  command  of  flotilla,  329. 

Diplomatic  questions,  81. 

Dobbin,  Secretary,  87, 123. 

Donelson,  Fort,  description  of,  220 ; 
movement  upon,  221 ;  attack  of,  by 
the  gun-boats,  222  ;  surrender  of,  225. 

Dupont,  Rear- Admiral  S.  F.,  105  ;  let 
ter  from,  1 47. 


Eads,  James  B.,  163, 164. 
Economy  in  business  matters,  366. 
Eddyville,  action  at,  177. 
Educational  matters,  57, 143. 
Ellet's  "ram-fleet,"  312,  323,  326. 
Enlistment  meetings,  345. 
Essex,  the  gun-boat,  158,  202. 
Expedition  up  the  Tennessee,  211. 
Extracts  from  sea-journal,  51,  90. 

F. 

False  position  in  regard  to  the  Army, 

251. 

Family,  13, 14. 
Farragut,  Rear-Admiral,  280,  306,  315, 

341,351,366. 
Fatal  illness,  375. 
Flag  of  truce,  244. 
Flotilla,  preparation  of  the  Western,  158; 

names  of  the  gun-boats,  158. 
Flying  Fish,  difficulty  with  captain  of 

the,  93. 
Foote,  Augustus,  17,  375  ;  letter  to  son 

Augustus,  135. 
Foote,  Caroline,  34. 
Foote,  Caroline  Augusta,  57  ;  letters  to, 

132, 189,  228,  230,  235,  248,269,  279, 

288. 
Foote,  Eudocin,  15. 


Foote,  John,  14. 

Foote,  John  A.,  17,  18,  56, 105,  152. 

Foote,  Nathaniel,  13. 

Foote,  Samuel  Augustus,  15, 17,  20,  21. 

"Foote's  Resolutions,"  15. 

Fort  Henry,  description  of,  195  ;  attack 

on,  200 ;  military  qualities  displayed 

at,  208. 
Fox,  Assistant-Secretary  G.  A.,  167; 

letters  from,  163,  179,  180,  210,  239, 

250. 
Fremont, Major-General  J.  C.,  157, 1 60, 

185. 
Funeral  obsequies,  381. 

G. 

Grampus,  the,  25. 

Grant,  General  U.  S.,  162, 171, 184, 185, 

221,  225,  231,  236. 
Gregory,  Commodore,  25,  66,  87,  372, 

382. 

Grimes,  speech  of  Senator,  261,  271. 
Gun-boats,  history  of  the,  164  ;  cost  of 

the,  179. 
Gwin,  Captain,  214,  215,  296,  342, 


Halleck,  General,  185  ;  letters  and  dis 
patches  from,  193,  232,  233,  235,  238, 
265,  275. 

Henriques,  Surgeon  S.,  327,  398. 

Hollins,  engagement  with  his  fleet,  295. 

Holy  Land,  visit  to  the,  35. 

Hong-Kong,  111,  127. 

Honolulu,  43. 

Honors  to  Admiral  Foote's  memorv. 
379. 

Hornet,  the,  31. 

Hull,  Commodore,  28. 

I. 

Improved  propeller,  65. 

Incessant  activity,  367. 

Influences  to  a  sea-life,  19. 

Iron-plated  ships,  introduction  of,  156. 

Island  No.  Ten,  description  of,  225  ; 
bombardment  of,  206  ;  operations  at, 
276  ;  surrender  of,  289  ;  fruits  of  vic 
tory,  293. 


Index. 


409 


J. 

Jackson,  Sir  George,  letter  from,  86. 
Japan,  visit  to,  129. 
John  Adams,  cruise  of  the,  38,  48. 
Johnston,  General  A.  S.,  233. 


Kilty,  Commander,  45,  334,  335. 

L. 

L'Artemise,  42,  48. 

Last  scenes,  376. 

Le  Roy,  Captain,  letter  of,  137. 

Lexington,  the  gun-boat,  158,  159,  171, 
185,  222,  296. 

Lima,  30. 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  146,  194,  343. 

Literary,  labors,  97. 

Loss  of  children,  364. 

Lossing's  "Civil  War  in  America,"  quot 
ed,  157,  195,  199,  223,  225,  237,  257, 
293,  294,  311. 

Louisa  Beaton,  the,  79. 

Louisville,  the  gun-boat,  158,  222,  223, 
224,266. 

Lucas's  Bend,  the  fight  at,  171. 

M. 

Macomb,  Captain,  letter  from,  141. 

Mahon,  37. 

Marriage,  34,  57.    . 

Martha,  capture  of  the  slave-ship,  82. 

McClellan,  General  G,B.,  229. 

McClernand,  General,  199,  209,  222. 

Meigs,  Quartermaster,  dispatches  of,  162, 
163,  181,  324. 

Memphis,  fall  of,  323,  325. 

Mental  qualities,  384,  386. 

Mercer,  Captain,  letter  from,  149. 

Merrimack,  the  iron-clad,  157. 

Military  profession,  scruples  respecting 
the,  33. 

Missionaries  to  be  recognized  as  Ameri 
can  citizens,  47 ;  steady  friend  of,  99. 

Mississippi,  the,  253. 

Monument  in  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard,  140. 

Morris,  Commodore,  65. 

Mortar-boats,  160,.  181,  193,275. 

Mound  City,  the  gun-boat,  158,  317. 


N. 

Nashville,  Foote  expected  at,  236. 

Natchez,  the,  31. 

Naval  Asylum  in  Philadelphia,  54. 

"  Naval  Efficiency  Board,"  104. 

Naval  preparations  at  the  opening  of  the 
war,  155. 

Naval  reform  in  Congress,  63. 

Naval  schools,  55. 

Navy  of  the  Revolution,  38  ;  of  the  war 
of  1812,  39  ;  increased  popularity  of 
the,  39  ;  condition  of,  at  the  opening 
of  the  war,  145  ;  of  the  West,  258  ; 
esprit  de  corps  in  the,  351. 

Navy  Yard  at  Boston,  60. 

New  Haven,  birthplace  at,  13. 

New  Madrid,  256,  257. 

"New  York  Port  Society,"  tribute  of, 
399. 

Ningpo,  127. 

0. 

Official  reports,  113,  172,  196,  204,  216, 
226,  227,  234,  242,  248,  249,  266, 
272,  273,  276,  280,  290,  291,  297, 
300,  301,  302. 

Orders,  197,  198,  282,312. 

Owensboro,  expedition  to,  172. 

P. 

Patterson,  Commodore,  35. 

Paulding,  Commodore,  letters  from,  351 , 

374. 

Peacock,  the,  27. 
Pennock,  Captain,  159,  304. 
Perry,  cruise  of  the,  66,  75. 
Personal  courage,  389. 
Personal  relations  to  other  officers,  342. 
Phelps,  Commander  S.  L.,  letters  from, 
;  160,   171,  174,  177,  191,  192,  211, 

317,  318,  325,  332,  340,  347. 
Philanthropic  labors,  137. 
Pillow,  Fort,  operations  at,  297,  300; 

evacuation  of,  311;  naval  fight  at,  3 17. 
Pirates  of  the  Gulf,  27. 
Pittsburg,  Tenn.,  gun-boat  engagement 

at,  253. 
Pittsburg,  the  gun-boat,  158,  222,  28«, 

291. 


4io 


Index. 


Political  agitation,  beginnings  of,  145. 

Polk,  Major-General,  245,  248. 

Pomare,  Queen,  49. 

Pope,  General  John,  257,  282,  287,  289, 
295. 

Porter,  Captain,  wounded  at  Fort  Hen 
ry,  202. 

Porter,  Commodore  David  D.,  letter 
from,  359. 

Porto  Praya,  85. 

Portsmouth,  cruise  of  the,  106,  122. 

Preaching  at  Cairo,  218. 

Professional  reputation,  jealousy  for,  388. 

Puritan  household,  16. 

Puritan  stamp  of  religious  character,  33. 


Read,  Commodore,  44. 

Rear-Admiral,  appointment  to  the  office 

of,  354. 
Reconnoissance  up  the  Tennessee,  174 ; 

of  Fort  Henry,  191 ;  of  Columbus,  241. 
Religion,  labors  in  the  cause  of,  139. 
Religious  character,  384. 
Religious  life,  beginnings  of,  32. 
Report  of  physicians,  329. 
Right  of  search,  74,  80. 
Ringgold,  Captain  C.,  letter  from,  356. 
Rockwell,  Hon.  J.  A.,  letter  to,  62. 
Rodgers,  Commodore,  Chief  of  Bureau 

of  Docks  and  Yards,  404. 
Rodgers,  Commodore  John,  164. 
Running  the  blockade  at  Island  No.  Ten, 

283. 

S. 

Sailor,  qualities  as  a,  398  ;  friend  of  the, 
399. 

Sandwich  Islands  Mission,  43. 

Sanford,  Captain,  376  ;  letter  from,  216. 

San  Jacinto,  the,  115. 

School-days,  22. 

Scientific  aptitudes,  69,  144. 

Sherman,  General,  250 ;  letter  from,  390. 

Siam,  correspondence  with  the  king  of, 
128,  131. 

Siam,  visit  to,  128. 

Simpson,  Commodore  E.,  143,  373 ;  let 
ters  from,  144,  368,  376. 


Slave-trade,  the  African,  67,  71. 

Smith,  General  C.  F.,  184. 

Smith,    Rear-Admiral    Joseph,    letters 

from,  61,  63,  75,  87,  97,  100,   141, 

167,  219,  239,  261,  316,  340,  385. 
Smith,  Truman,  letter  to,  81. 
Social  characteristics,  387. 
South    America,    cruising-ground,    29, 

34. 
South  Atlantic  squadron,  appointment 

to  command  of,  372. 
Spiking  rebel  battery,  279. 
Spirit-ration,  abolishing  the,  61. 
Stembel,  Commander,  201,  312,  317; 

letter  from,  180. 
Stewart,  Chaplain,  36. 
St.  Helena,  87. 

St.  Louis,  head-quarters  at,  158. 
St.  Louis,  the,  34. 
St.  Louis,  the  gun-boat,  158,  204. 
Storms,  philosophy  of,  69. 
Street,  Augustus  Russel,  57. 
Sunday,  remarkable  service  on,  295. 
Sword,  presentation  of  a,  361. 
Sympathy,  element  of  character,  358. 

T. 

Tahiti,  48. 

Tatnall,  Commodore,  64,  133. 

Taylor,  the  gun-boat,  158,  185, 196,  222, 
228,  252,  296,  321. 

Temperance  address,  59,  97. 

Temperance  reform  in  the  Navy,  56,  58, 
62,  97. 

Tilghman,  Brigadier-General,  195,  203. 

Total-abstinence  principles,  o<S5. 

Treaty  of  United  States  with  Great  Brit 
ain  on  slave-trade  in  Africa,  71. 

U. 

United  States,  the,  28. 

V. 

Valparaiso,  51. 

Vote  of  thanks  by  Ohio  Legislature, 

219 ;  by  Kentucky  Legislature,  240 ; 

by  Connecticut  Legislature,  325;  by 

Congress,  270,  343. 
Voyage  around  the  world,  41 . 


Index. 


411 


w. 

Walke,  Rear-AdmiralH.,221,  283,  287, 
291 ;  letters  from,  161,  186,  288. 

Wallace,  General  Lew.,  200,  225. 

War  record,  397. 

Washington,  residence  in,  366. 

Welles,  Secretary,  letters  to,  266,  299, 
310;  letters,  private  and  official,  from, 
23,  153,  154,  156,  210,  251,  294,  298, 
308,  315,  330,  337,  339,  344,  355,365, 
379,  391. 


West  Point  Academy,  24. 

Wilkes,  Commodore,  50. 

Wise,  Quartermaster  Henry  A.,   194, 

324. 
Wounded  at  Fort  Donelson,  227. 

Y. 

Yale  College,  Alumni  meeting,  July  30, 

1862,  353. 
Yazoo  River,  operations  of  gun-boats  up 

the,  348. 


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BURNS'S  LIFE  AND  WORKS.  The  Life  and  Works  of  Robert  Burns.  Edited 
by  ROBERT  CHAMBERS.  4  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $6  00. 

REINDEER,  DOGS,  AND  SNOW-SHOES.  A  Journal  of  Siberian  Travel  and  Ex 
plorations  made  in  the  Years  1865-'67.  By  RICHARD  J.  BUSH,  late  of  the  Russo- 
American  Telegraph  Expedition.  Illustrated.  Crown  8vo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 

CARLYLE'S  FREDERICK  THE  GREAT.  History  of  Friedrich  II.,  called  Frederick 
the  Great.  By  THOMAS  CABLYLE.  Portraits,  Maps,  Plans,  &c.  6  vols.,  12mo, 
Cloth,  $12  00. 

CARLYLE'S  FRENCH  REVOLUTION.  History  of  the  French  Revolution.  Newly 
Revised  by  the  Author,  with  Index,  &c.  2  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

CARLYLE'S  OLIVER  CROMWELL.  Letters  and  Speeches  of  Oliver  Cromwell. 
With  Elucidations  and  Connecting  Narrative.  2  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

CHALMERS'S  POSTHUMOUS  WORKS.  The  Posthumous  Works  of  Dr.  Chalmers. 
Edited  by  his  Son-in-Law,  Rev.  WILLIAM  HANNA,  LL.D.  Complete  in  9  vols., 
12mo,  Cloth,  $13  50. 

COLERIDGE'S  COMPLETE  WORKS.  The  Complete  Works  of 'Samuel  Taylor 
Coleridge.  With  an  Introductory  Essay  upon  his  Philosophical  and  Theological 
Opinions.  Edited  by  Professor  SHEDD.  Complete  in  Seven  Vols.  With  a  fine 
Portrait.  Small  Svo,  Cloth,  $10  50. 

DOOLITTLE'S  CHINA.  Social  Life  of  the  Chinese :  with  some  Account  of  their  Re 
ligious,  Governmental,  Educational,  and  Business  Customs  and  Opinions.  With 
special  but  not  exclusive  Reference  to  Fuhchau.  By  Rev.  JUSTUS  DOOLITTLI:, 
Fourteen  Years  Member  of  the  Fuhchau  Mission  of  the  American  Board.  Illus 
trated  with  more  than  150  characteristic  Engravings  on  Wood.  2  vols.,  12mo, 
Cloth,  $5  00. 

GIBBON'S  ROME.  History  of  the  Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire.  By  ED 
WARD  GIBHON.  With  Notes  by  Rev.  H.  H.  MII.MAN  and  M.  GUIZOT.  A  new  cheap 
Edition.  To  which  is  added  a  complete  Index  of  the  whole  Work,  and  a  Portrait 
of  the  Author.  6  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $9  00. 

HAZEN'S  SCHOOL  AND  ARMY  IN  GERMANY  AND  FRANCE.  The  School 
and  the  Army  in  Germany  and  France,  with  a  Diary  of  Siege  Life  at  Versailles. 
By  Brevet  Major-General  W.  B.  HAZEN,  U.S.A.,  Colonel  Sixth  Infantry.  Crown 
Svo,  Cloth,  $2  50. 


Harper  &*  Brothers'  Valuable  and  Interesting  Works.      5 

HARPER'S  NEW  CLASSICAL  LIBRARY.    Literal  Translations. 

The  following  Volumes  are  now  ready.  Portraits.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  50  each. 
CAESAR.  — VIRGIL.  —  SALLTJST.  — HORACE.— CICEEO'S  ORATIONS, — CICERO'S  OFFICES* 
&c. — CICERO  ON  ORATORY  AND  ORATORS. — TACITUS  (2  vols.).  —  TERENCE. — 
SOPHOCLES.— JUVENAL.— XENOPHON.—  HOMER'S  ILIAD.— HOMER'S  ODYSSEY.— 
HERODOTUS. — DEMOSTHENES. — THUOYDIDES. — ^ESCHYLUS. — EURIPIDES  (2  vols.). 
— LIVY  (2  vols.). 

DAVIS'S  CARTHAGE.  Carthage  and  her  Remains  :  being  an  Account  of  the  Exca 
vations  and  Researches  on  the  Site  of  the  Phoenician  Metropolis  in  Africa  and  other 
adjacent  Places.  Conducted  under  the  Auspices  of  Her  Majesty's  Government. 
By  Dr.  DAVIS,  F.R.G.S.  Profusely  Illustrated  with  Maps,  Woodcuts,  Chromo- 
Lithographs,  &c.  8vo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 

EDGEWORTH'S  (Miss)  NOVELS.  With  Engravings*    10  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $15  00. 
GROTE'S  HISTORY  OF  GREECE.    12  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $18  00. 

HELPS'S  SPANISH  CONQUEST.  The  Spanish  Conquest  in  America,  and  its  Rela 
tion  to  the  History  of  Slavery  and  to  the  Government  of  Colonies.  By  ARTHTTB 
HELPS.  4  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $6  00. 

lALE'S  (MRS.)  WOMAN'S  RECORD.  Woman's  Record ;  or,  Biographical  Sketches 
of  all  Distinguished  Women,  from  the  Creation  to  the  Present  Time.  Arranged 
in  Four  Eras,  with  Selections  from  Female  Writers  of  each  Era.  By  Mrs.  SARAH 
JOSEPHA  HALE.  Illustrated  with  more  than  200  Portraits.  8vo,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

HALL'S  ARCTIC  RESEARCHES.  Arctic  Researches  and  Life  among  the  Esqui 
maux  :  being  the  Narrative  of  an  Expedition  in  Search  of  Sir  John  Franklin,  in 
the  Years  1800;  1861,  and  1862.  By  CHARLES  FRANCIS  HALL.  With  Maps  and  100 
Illustrations.  The  Illustrations  are  from  Original  Drawings  by  Charles  Parsons, 
Henry  L.  Stephens,  Solomon  Eytinge,  W.  S.  L.  Jewett,  and  Granville  Perkins, 
after  Sketches  by  Captain  Hall.  8vo,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

HALLAM'S  CONSTITUTIONAL  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND,  from  the  Accession  of 
Henry  VII.  to  the  Death  of  George  II.  8vo,  Clofch,  $2  00. 

HALLAM'S  LITERATURE.  Introduction  to  the  Literature  of  Europe  during  the 
Fifteenth,  Sixteenth,  and  Seventeenth  Centuries.  By  HENRY  HALLAM.  2  vols., 
8vo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 

HALLAM'S  MIDDLE  AGES.  State  of  Europe  during  the  Middle  Ages.  By  HENRY 
HALLAM.  8vo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

HILDRETH'S  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES.  FIRST  SERIES  :  From  the 
First  Settlement  of  the  Country  to  the  Adoption  of  the  Federal  Constitution. 
SECOND  SERIES  :  From  the  Adoption  of  the  Federal  Constitution  to  the  End  of 
the  Sixteenth  Congress.  6  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  $18  00. 

HUME'S  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND.  History  of  England,  from  the  Invasion  of  Ju 
lius  Cjesar  to  the  Abdication  of  James  II.,  16SS.  By  DAVID  HUME.  A  new  Edi 
tion,  with  the  Author's  last  Corrections  and  Improvements.  To  which  is  Prefix 
ed  a  short  Account  of  his  Life,  written  by  Himself!  With  a  Portrait  of  the  Au 
thor.  6  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $9  00. 

JAY'S  WORKS.  Complete  Works  of  Rev.  William  Jay :  comprising  his  Sermons, 
Family  Discourses,  Morning  and  Evening  Exercises'  for  every  Day  in  the  Year, 
Family  Prayers,  &c.  Author's  enlarged  Edition,  revised.  3  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth, 


JEFFERSON'S  DOMESTIC  LIFE.  The  Domestic  Life  of  Thomas  Jefferson :  com 
piled  from  Family  Letters  and  Reminiscences  by  his  Great-Grauddaughter, 
SARAH  N.  RANDOLPH.  With  Illustrations.  Crown  Svo1,  Illuminated  Cloth,  Bev 
eled  Edges,  $2  50. 

JOHNSON'S  COMPLETE  WORKS.  The  Works  of  Samuel  Johnson,  LL.D.  With 
an  Essay  on  his  Life  and  Genius,  by  ARTHUR  MURPHY,  Esq.  Portrait  of  Johnson. 
2  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 

KINGLAKE'S  CRIMEAN  WAR.  The  Invasion  of  the  Crimea,  and  an  Account  of 
its  Progress  down  to  the  Death  of  Lord  Raglan.  By  ALEXANDER  WILLIAM  KINO- 
LAKE.  With  Maps  and  Plans.  Two  Vols.  ready.  12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00  per  vol. 

KINGSLEY'S  WEST  INDIES.  At  Last:  A  Christmas  in  the  West  Indies.  By 
CHARLKS  KINQSLET.  Illustrated.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  50. 


6      Harper  &»  Brothers'  Valuable  and  Interesting  Works. 

KRUMMACHER'S  DAVID,  KING  OF  ISRAEL.  David,  the  King  of  Israel :  a  Por 
trait  drawn  from  Bible  History  and  the  Book  of  Psalms:  By  FREDERICK  WILLIAM 
KRUMMAOIJEE,  D.D.,  Author  of  " Elijah  the  Tishbite,"  &c.  Translated  under  the 
express  Sanction  of  the  Author  by  the  Rev.  M.  G.  EASTON,  M.A.  With  a  Letter 
from  Dr.  Krummacher  to  his  American  Readers,  and  a  Portrait.  12mo,  Cloth, 
$175. 

LAMB'S  COMPLETE  WORKS.  The  Works  of  Charles  Lamb.  Comprising  his  Let 
ters,  Poems,  Essays  of  Elia,  Essays  upon  Shakspeare,  Hogarth,  &c.,  and  a  Sketch 
of  his  Life,  with  the  Final  Memorials,  by  T.  NOON  TALFOURU.  Portrait.  2  vols., 
12mo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 

LIVINGSTONE'S  SOUTH  AFRICA.  Missionary  Travels  and  Researches  in  South 
Africa;  including  a  Sketch  of  Sixteen  Years'  Residence  in  the  Interior  of  Africa, 
and  a  Journey  from  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  Loando  on  the  West  Coast ;  thence 
across  the  Continent,  down  the  River  Zambesi,  to  the  Eastern  Ocean.  By  DAVID 
LIVINGSTONE,  LL.D.,  D.C.L.  With  Portrait,  Maps  by  Arrowsmith,  and  numerous 
Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth,  $4  50. 

LIVINGSTONES'  ZAMBESI.  Narrative  of  an  Expedition  to  the  Zambesi  and  its 
Tributaries,  and  of  the  Discovery  of  the  Lakes  Shirwa  and  Nyassa.  1858-1864. 
By  DAVID  and  CIIAB  LES  LIVINGSTONE.  With  Map  and  Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth, 
$500. 

M'CLINTOCK  &  STRONG'S  CYCLOPAEDIA.  Cyclopaedia  of  Biblical,  Theological, 
and  Ecclesiastical  Literature.  Prepared  by  the  Rev.  JOHN  M'CLINTOCK,  D.D., 
and  JAMES  STRONG,  S.T.D.  5  vols.  now  ready.  Royal  Svo.  Price  per  vel.,  Cloth, 
$5  00 ;  Sheep,  $6  00;  Half  Morocco,  $S  00. 

MARCY'S  ARMY  LIFE  ON  THE  BORDER.  Thirty  Years  of  Army  Life  on  the 
Border.  Comprising  Descriptions  of  the  Indian  Nomads  of  the  Plains ;  Explo 
rations  of  New  Territory;  a  Trip  across  the  Rocky  Mountains  in  the  Winter; 
Descriptions  of  the  Habits  of  Different  Animals  found  in  the  West,  and  the  Meth 
ods  of  Hunting  them ;  with  Incidents  in  the  Life  of  Different  Frontier  Men,  &c., 
&c.  By  Brevet  Brigadier-General  R.  B.  MARCY,  U.S.A.,  Author  of  "  The  Prairie 
Traveller."  With  numerous  Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth,  Beveled  Edges,  $3  00. 

MACAULAY'S  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND.  The  History  of  England  from  the  Ac 
cession  of  James  II.  By  THOMAS  BABINGTON  MACATJLAY.  With  an  Original  Por 
trait  of  the  Author.  5  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  $10  00 ;  12mo,  Cloth,  $7  50. 

MOSHEIM'S  ECCLESIASTICAL  HISTORY,  Ancient  and  Modern ;  in  which  the 
Rise,  Progress,  and  Variation  of  Church  Power  are  considered  in  their  Connec 
tion  with  the  State  of  Learning  and  Philosophy,  and  the  Political  History  of  Eu 
rope  during  that  Period.  Translated,  with  Notes,  &c.,  by  A.  MACLAINE,  D.D. 
A  new  Edition,  continued  to  1826,  by  C.  COOTE,  LL.D.  2  vols.,  Svo,  Cloth,  $4  00. 

NEVIUS'S  CHINA.  China  and  the  Chinese:  a  General  Description  of  the  Country 
and  its  Inhabitants;  its  Civilization  and  Form  of  Government ;  its  Religious  and 
Social  Institutions ;  its  Intercourse  with  other  Nations ;  and  its  Present  Condition 
and  Prospects.  By  the  Rev.  JOHN  L.  NEVIUS,  Ten  Years  a  Missionary  in  China. 
With  a  Map  and  Illustrations.  12mo,  Cloth,  $1  75. 

THE  DESERT  OF  THE  EXODUS.  Journeys  on  Foot  in  the  Wilderness  of  the 
Forty  Years'  Wanderings ;  undertaken  in  connection  with  the  Ordnance  Survey 
of  Sinai  and  the  Palestine  Exploration  Fund.  By  E.  H.  PALMER,  M.A.,  Lord 
Almoner's  Professor  of  Arabic,  and  Fellow  of  St.  John's  College,  Cambridge. 
With  Maps  and  numerous  Illustrations  from  Photographs  and  Drawings  taken 
on  the  spot  by  the  Sinai  Survey  Expedition  and  C.  F.  Tyrwhitt  Drake.  Crown 
Svo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 

OLIPHANT'S  CHINA  AND  JAPAN.  Narrative  of  the  Earl  of  Elgin's  Mission  to 
China  and  Japan,  in  the  Years  185T,  '58,  '59.  By  LATTRENCE  OLIPIIANT,  Private 
Secretary  to  Lord  Elgin.  Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

OLIPHANT'S  (MRS.)  LIFE  OF  EDWARD  IRVING.  The  Life  of  Edward  Irving, 
Minister  of  the  National  Scotch  Church,  London.  Illustrated  by  his  Journals  and 
Correspondence.  By  Mrs.  OLIPHANT.  Portrait.  Svo,  Cloth,  $3  50. 

RAWLINSON'S  MANUAL  OF  ANCIENT  HISTORY.  A  Manual  of  Ancient  His 
tory,  from  the  Earliest  Times 'to  the  Fall  of  the  Western  Empire.  Comprising 
the  History  of  Chaldsea,  Assyria,  Media,  Babylonia,  Lydia,  Phoenicia,  Syria,  Ju- 
dzea,  E^vpt.  Carthage,  Persia,  Greece,  Macedonia,  Parthia,  and  Rome.  _  tfy 
GEORGE  RAWLINSON,  M.  A.,  Camden  Professor  of  Ancient  History  in  the  Univer 
sity  of  Oxford.  12mo,  Cloth,  $2  50. 


Harper  6*  Brothers'  Valuable  and  Interesting  Works.      7 

KECLUS'S  THE  EARTH.  The  Earth :  a  Descriptive  History  of  the  Phenomena 
and  Life  of  the  Globe.  By  ELISEE  KEOLDS.  Translated  by  the  late  B.  B.  Wood 
ward,  and  Edited  by  Henry  Woodward.  With  234  Maps  and  Illustrations,  and 
23  Page  Maps  printed  in  Colors.  8vo,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

RECLUS'S  OCEAN.  The  Ocean,  Atmosphere,  and  Life.  Being  the  Second  Series 
of  a  Descriptive  History  of  the  Life  of  the  Globe.  By  ELIS^K  RKCLUS.  Pro 
fusely  Illustrated  with  250  Maps  or  Figures,  and  27  Maps  printed  in  Colors. 
8vo,  Cloth,  $6  00. 

SHAKSPEARE.  The  Dramatic  Works  of  William  Shakspeare,  with  the  Correc 
tions  and  Illustrations  of  Dr.  JOHNSON  G.  STEEVENB,  and  others.  Revised  by 
ISAAC  REED.  Engravings.  6  vols.,  Royal  12mo,  Cloth,  $9  00. 

SMILES'S  LIFE  OF  THE  STEPHENSONS.  The  Life  of  George  Stephenson,  and 
of  his  Son,  Robert  Stephenson ;  comprising,  also,  a  History  of  the  Invention 
and  Introduction  of  the  Railway  Locomotive.  By  SAMOEL  SAIILKS.  With  Steel 
Portraits  and  numerous  Illustrations.  Svo,  Cloth,  $3  00. 

SMILES'S  HISTORY  OF  THE  HUGUENOTS.  The  Huguenots:  their  Settlements, 
Churches,  and  Industries  in  England  and  Ireland.  By  SAMUEL  SMILES.  With  an 
Appendix  relating  to  the  Huguenots  in  America.  Crown  Svo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

SPEKE'S  AFRICA.  Journal  of  the  Discovery  of  the  Source  of  the  Nile.  By  Cap 
tain  JOHN  BANNING  SPEKE.  With  Maps  and  Portraits  and  numerous  Illustra 
tions,  chiefly  from  Drawings  by  Captain  GRANT.  Svo,  Cloth,  uniform  with  Liv 
ingstone,  Earth,  Burton,  &c.,  $4  00. 

STRICKLAND'S  (Miss)  QUEENS  OF  SCOTLAND.  Lives  of  the  Queens  of  Scot 
land  and  English  Princesses  connected  with  the  Regal  Succession  of  Great 
Britain.  By  AGNES  STRICKLAND.  8  vols.,  12mo,  Cloth,  $12  00. 

THE  STUDENT'S  SERIES. 

France.    Engravings.    12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

Gibbon.    Engravings.    12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

Greece.    Engravings.    12mo,  Cloth,  f2  00. 

Hume.    Engravings.    12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

Rome.    By  Liddell.    Engravings.    12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

Old  Testament  History.     Engravings.    12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

New  Testament  History.     Engravings.    12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

Strickland's  Queens  of  England.    Abridged.    Engravings.    12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

Ancient  History  of  the  East.    12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

Hallam's  Middle  Ages.    12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

Hallam's  Constitutional  History  of  England.    12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

Lyell's  Elements  of  Geology.    12mo,  Cloth,  $2  00. 

TENNYSON'S  COMPLETE  POEMS.  The  Complete  Poems  of  Alfred  Tennyson, 
Poet  Laureate.  With  numerous  Illustrations  by  Eminent  Artists,  and  Three 
Characteristic  Portraits.  Svo,  Paper,  75  cents ;  Cloth,  $1  25. 

THOMSON'S  LAND  AND  THE  BOOK.  The  Land  and  the  Book;  or,  Biblical 
Illustrations  drawn  from  the  Manners  and  Customs,  the  Scenes  and  the  Scenery 
of  the  Holy  Land.  By  W.  M.  THOMSON,  D.D.,  Twenty-five  Years  a  Missionary 
of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  in  Syria  and  Palestine.  With  two  elaborate  Maps  of  Pal 
estine,  an  accurate  Plan  of  Jerusalem,  and  several  hundred  Engravings,  repre 
senting  the  Scenery,  Topography,  and  Productions  of  the  Holy  Land,  and  the 
Costumes,  Manners,  and  Habits  of  the  People.  2  large  12mo  vols.,  Cloth,  $5  00. 

TYERMAN'S  WESLEY.  The  Life  and  Times  of  the  Rev.  John  Wesley,  M.A., 
Founder  of  the  Methodists.  By  the  Rev.  LUKE  TYEKMAN.  Portraits.  3  vols., 
Crown  Svo,  Cloth,  $7  50. 

TYERMAN'S  OXFORD  METHODISTS.  The  Oxford  Methodists :  Memoirs  of  the 
Rev.  Messrs.  Clayton,  Ingham,  Gambold,  Hervey,  and  Broughton,  with  Bio 
graphical  Notices  of  others.  By  the  Rev.  L.  TYEBMAN.  Crown'Svo,  Cloth,  $2  50. 

vAMBfiRY'S  CENTRAL  ASIA.  Travels  in  Central  Asia.  Being  the  Account  of 
a  Journey  from  Teheran  across  the  Turkoman  Desert,  on  the  Eastern  Shore  of 
the  Caspian,  to  Khiva,  Bokhara,  and  Samarcand,  performed  in  the  Year  1863. 
By  ABMINIUS  VAMBERT,  Member  of  the  Hungarian  Academy  of  Pesth,  by  whom 
he  was  sent  on  this  Scientific  Mission.  With  Map  and  Woodcuts.  Svo,  Cloth, 
$4  50. 

WOOD'S  HOMES  WITHOUT  HANDS.  Homes  Without  Hands:  being  a  Descrip 
tion  of  the  Habitations  of  Animals,  classed  according  to  their  Principle  of  Con 
struction.  By  J.  G.Woor.,  M.A.,  F.L.S.  With  about  140  Illustrations.  Svo, 
Cloth,  Beveled  Edges,  $4  50. 


THIS   BOOK  IS  DUE  ON   THE   LAST  DATE 
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RENEWED  BOOKS  ARE  SUBJECT  TO  IMMEDIATE 
RECALL 


LIBRARY,  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  DAVIS 

Book  Slip-35m-7,'62(D296s4)458 


•  "^  -^  *T  IT 

Hoppin,  J.M. 

Life  of  Andrew  Hull 


Foote 


Call  Number: 

EU67.1 
F68 

H7 


E4W.1 

F68 

i-r/ 


253352 


